Moe and Denise Lee Yohn discuss the seven brand-building principles that separate the best from the rest. Drawing from twenty-five years of consulting work with such top brands as Frito-Lay, Sony, Nautica, and Burger King, Yohn explains key principles of her brand-as-business strategy.
Building a Brand
In the Fall of 2013, the classic Italian mens brand – Brioni – named Brendan Mullane as its creative director. Formerly at Givenchy, Mullane brings a fresh perspective to a 68-year-old label steeped in tradition and recognized in the mens’ fashion world for its sartorial excellence and unrivaled craftsmanship. It’s always intriguing to me when an established brand looks to an outsider for inspiration; I see it as either a stroke of genius or a cry for help. In Brioni’s case, I sense it an opportunity to reawaken the soul of a luxury label that once promised ‘to be one of a kind.’
Regardless of industry, few brands stand the test of time, and even fewer evolve with the times. As a big fan of Brioni, I’m rooting for Mullane to inject some contemporary flair into the iconic brand, because as Jerry Garcia once said, instead of being “the best in the world at what you do; be the only one in the world who does what you do.” In her book – What Great Brands Do – brand maven Denise Lee Yohn distills those habits into seven principles, and as always, you have to start on the inside.