Injecting ‘Meaning’ into the Brand Identity Model

Intangible assets are becoming a source of enormous potential economic value and growth in the coming years. In our world, the only distinction between a billion dollar company and its garage-based competition can often be a strong brand identity. A brand identity now must not only achieve customer resonance and be memorable to its individual customers—but it must also symbolize the knowledge, culture, and personality of the community and moreover “spark meaning” from its inception–for the entire community (currently) supporting a brand.

Intangible assets include elements such as knowledge and expertise, personal values and personality traits, but also include the values and meanings ascribed to it by the online and physical “tribes” into which people with shared cultural and social values gather. It is within this context of tribes—social and cultural groups, often online, in which the meaning of the intangibles will be ascribed, reviewed, digested, and shared—that will account for more than half the true value of many companies and will become the generative force creating new products and services.

The traditional economic value chain ascribes labor and distribution channels, as well as strong brands as value-creation mechanisms. However, because of the formation of “tribes” —as marketing guru Seth Godin has popularized, that fire the “intangible revolution” —as Ian Kirk and others have described, Kirk believes “the essential human capacity to create and attribute meaning to create the contemporary value chain can no longer be ignored.

Now the whole product development and brand identity processes must be rethought. Community meaning and values need to be factored in way earlier than marcom and distribution plans. From recognition as a demand-side after market consideration, now community values and meaning must be prioritized in both the product ideation and marketing requirements processes. You know you’ve missed the boat if you’ve already defined your brand identity and you’re asking which tribes and communities would be prospective customers.

The brand essence, the corporate personality, is still the soul of an organization. And, the brand identity is its manifestation. But the importance of the role of the brand identity associations has grown. In the past, brand identities were used to bind individuals to the organization or product through resonant and memorable associations with the relevant knowledge, culture, and personality qualities. And, the hooks that bound them were either emotional or aspirational.

Now, where do the community values and shared meanings enter the picture in David Aaker’s Brand Indentity Planning Model? Is Community Analysis a bullet under Customer Analysis or does it deserve its own, fourth analysis in addition to Self and Competitor Analyses?

In addition, within the Brand Identity construct, certainly both the organizational and personality associations should correlate with the values of relevant communities. But, when would community values trump the values of individuals, if they’re different? Are there rules for prioritization?

In addition, communities are raising the bar for higher quality group giving— demanding substantial emotional IQ and psychological awareness. Thus, larger communities are self-selecting to a degree into smaller subgroups or tribes.

It’s relatively clear to see how community values and group characteristics are helping define new products and services. However, what’s still a bit murky is how to adjust brand identity associations simultaneously to groups and individuals, and to differing levels of emotional IQ.

Now, there are two sets of challenges in order to leverage the emotional and aspirational assets of the community.

Somewhat in contrast to Kirk’s “meaning chain”, I propose a product or service value chain where community meaning is imbued/inserted upon ideation/inception and simply calibrated for emotional uptake based on the communication vehicle, media or niche message. Below I use Kirk’s “meaning chain” as an anchor:

1. When I consume or produce, I create meaning… (This still works fine)

The moment of interaction between a person and a brand is one of meaning creation. In the intangible revolution, trust and loyalty are built through the reaffirmation that comes from repetition of consistent meaning creation.

2. … I encapsulate my identity and aspirations…(Here’s where I deviate a bit)

Meaning is created because interacting with a brand in some way affirms and encapsulates either the consumer’s identity or, more usually, gives them the sense that they are closer to being the person they want to be. Brand Identities must themselves symbolically encapsulate a correlative set of traits and aspirations. To this I would add that as a community leader, I would shift from aspirational to a specific inspirational community vision as a driving element in the list of brand identity associations.

3. … I reinforce my beliefs and value system…(blah, blah, blah)

One’s identity and aspirations are based largely on one’s beliefs and value system. Consumer attitudes towards consuming brands derive from what they think is important in life. This stage in the Kirk Meaning Chain™ begins to give the rationale for why a consumer aspires to a particular identity. The most ostentatious example of brands that operate at this level are ecology and ’simple living’ brands, although it’s easy to see how personal value systems that stress the importance of looking good, being healthy, or being ambitious direct brand choices. It is the role, therefore, of brand strategists to attempt to communicate Brand Values that are aligned with the value systems of consumers.

4. … I relate this meaning to other sources of meaning in my life…(brandscapes are good at this)

Meaning creation does not just happen in isolation. In the intangible revolution, when we choose to consume a brand, it exists for us in relation to all the other brand choices that we have made. It is essential for brand managers to realize just how ’savvy’ consumers are about brands and how easy it is for them to see how different brands relate to each other. Brand Strategy, if it is to be effective, must be developed in relation to the terrain that is marked out by other brands. Understanding consumers’ brand associations with a particular brand is a quick way to understand how a brand is perceived. It helps to identify co-branding opportunities as well as to clarify competitive strategies.

5. … I establish my tribal identity…(Kirk believes apparel still does this, I don’t)

Shared knowledge, a common culture, and brand affiliations are what will create the new tribes in the intangible revolution. The total set of brands that we deploy for ourselves as consumers demonstrates our affiliations as well as our aspirations. It establishes our sense of belonging as part of a social group or tribe. The power of apparel brands for personal and community branding is waning as they can’t easily move with us into the virtual world.

6. … I operate within an emotional context…(Let’s not forget social responsibility here and lifting our friends out of Maslow’s hell.)

Deeper down, one’s identity, aspirations, and the tribe to which one chooses to belong comes from personal emotional needs. Often, brand strategists use models such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to understand the emotional resonance of a brand. Typical high-order emotional needs that are uncovered here would include self-esteem through achievement, altruism, or the admiration of others.

7. … I connect to a deeply held cultural ideology or myth. (Here’s where I’d add the 3 types of inspirational stories named by the brothers Heath in Made to Stick)

World-class brands connect the meaning that they create to a deeply help cultural myth or ideology. For example, the brand ethos of Marlboro connects to the very American myth of rugged individualism, Nike connects to the myth of personal achievement through focused effort, and Coke connects to the myth or ideology of the underlying similarity of friendship across the world. Kodak, probably boldest of all, connects to the universal belief that certain life experiences are important from either a formative or ritual perspective, and brands the positive ones as Kodak moments.