The evolution of brand

“Is the brand dead?” That was the question up for discussion at a recent event in Soho.

In a room packed full of communications and marketing professionals, three authors shared their perspective on the future of brand.

The panel discussion was hosted by specialist London recruitment consultancy; Career Moves Group, and the Dialogue journal. Andy Law, Robert Mighall, and David Arkwright were the authors on the panel hosted by David Woods, editorial director of LID publishing.

While the panel agreed that brand is evolving, rather than dying, there were mixed opinions as to the direction of this evolution. Successfully managed brands will survive, agreed the panel, and to achieve this they need good brand guardians.

Arkwright and Mighall emphasised the importance of storytelling when creating a strong brand, they specified that the story must be authentic and in-keeping with company culture. Arkwright said, “Great brands don’t just operate externally – they’re born from within, there’s an ideology at the core.”

Law explained how many brands that are successful in our contemporary environment are those that are born quickly and spread like wildfire among consumers and thriving by word-of-mouth.

Other successful big brands, such as Coca Cola and MacDonalds, are driven by core vision statements. They are relentless about what they want to achieve and this makes them untouchable, argued Law. It is this clarity of purpose and self-confidence that is key to successful branding.