The Internet is the ultimate in brand-centered buying.
It's the first company to build the mental position that has the upper hand, not the first company to make the product. IBM didn't invent the computer; Sperry Rand did. But IBM was the first to build the computer position in the prospect's mind.
Strategy and timing are the Himalayas of marketing. Everything else is the Catskills.
Branding is simply a more efficient way to sell things.
The crucial ingredient in the success of any brand is its claim to authenticity.
The next generation product almost never comes from the previous generation.