Walk into Golf Mart and take a look at the clubs offered. Three brands may offer the exact same driver, however, because one is a Nike, which is associated with Tiger W, which is associated with winning, we will pay the premium. We are buying Tiger W, we are buying into a winning piece of equipment, we are buying victory, not simply a mass produced 5 iron.

The importance of brand strength is not diminishing, in fact it is growing. In a culture in which people identify themselves with the goods they posses, the services they use, and the corresponding brand images, when a person buys your product, it is actually like they are buying a percentage of their identity. If people do not want your brand to identify them, why would they buy into it?

Good post!

Best,

John E Lincoln

I really would like to read more on why we feel the way we do about a product. Just like my feelings about apple computer. I will buy just about anything from them without even reading up on specs etc. If its new, I want it.

Also, I do get excited when I see someone drive by me in their car and they have a apple sticker on their car. I think to myself, ” Yeah, there one of me.” Or sometimes I automatic assume that they are creative because of it.

Thank you for the post!

Jamie Croft

Thanks!

I don’t want to sound like a sycophant but your book was sitting less than 10″ from my right elbow when I started reading this. Your application of these principles in the book to not only businesses, but individuals and even locations is great. I’ve referenced the story of Irvington, VA in pitches.

For everyone who hasn’t read this book, I can’t recommend it enough. I bought it in the middle of 2007 and it’s sitting next to me today while my other branding books are on the shelf.

Nice work Patrick… and thank you for the amazing resource.

(If anyone happens to notice that I wrote a blog post about three days ago… totally coincidence.)