In the world of upheaval and uncertainty in which we now live, brand matters more than ever. A brand is a guarantee. You know what you’re getting, whether it’s high quality, cool products, performance, or good value. That’s why brands have such high value – contributing around 1/3 of market cap – and why their value is increasing.
The disruption theme was amplified by the three presenters during MASB’s celebration of World Brand Day, May 10, which, given its importance, for us spanned the whole week. Jerry Nichols of Bottomline, winner of this year’s Blair Award for Marketing Accountability, explained how he has transformed traditional approaches to brand and marketing measurement, spurring a jump in company growth and profitability, by using technology to link multiple forms of data across silos. How? The magic was nothing to do with technology. It was communication, bridging silos by convincing Marketing, Sales, Product and Finance of the benefits of working together.
MASB Sustainable Marketing Accountability team members Neil Bendle, Johanna Frösen, and Frank Findley celebrated companies with sustainability built into their brands. Not just supporting sustainability in their positioning but making it an integral part of their business models. Tony’s ChocoLonely has imbued sustainability into not only its own operations, but those of its partners across its supply chain. Emmy Store, Relove and ThredUp have built value through brands dedicated to improving the image of buying clothing secondhand. From Europe to the Americas, they’ve had a major impact on consumer attitudes and buying behavior, generating growth and business value.
And finally, our headliner, David Aaker, summarized findings from his seminal thinking and 18 books. He identified two major brand value building opportunities for today’s world—disruptive brand innovation and signature social programs. Instead of being disrupted by circumstance, brands can take the bull by the horns and lead disruption. How? Not through the battle for preference, “My brand is better than your brand,” but by owning new game-changing sub-categories which meet an unaddressed consumer must-have – a new and superior buying or use experience, or meaningful brand relationship. Dollar Shave Club, which created a whole new way of buying shaving products, and a brand which was sold 4 years later for a billion to Unilever. Casper, which realized it was about sleep, not mattresses. Salesforce, the pioneer of cloud software. Uniqlo, branded product innovation.
Aaker talked about not just the forms of disruption, but how to communicate and brand it. His principles for brand building are updated and summarized in his new book, Aaker on Branding, Second Edition, published on the day of the webinar. I urge you all to find out more and access the videos on The MASB Channel on YouTube.
We’ll showcase more of the latest thinking on Marketing Opportunities in the Era of Disruption, the theme of MASB Summer Summit 2025 to be held at DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business in downtown Chicago, Aug. 13-14. We guarantee an inspiring and thought-provoking program, top presenters, an audience of select senior level professionals and lots of discussion and debate. Non-members can request an invitation from events@themasb.org.
Have a great summer. Hope to see you in Chicago!
Joanna Seddon, MASB CEO