If you want to build a brand, you must focus your branding efforts on owning a word in the prospect's mind. A word that nobody else owns.

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.

Positioning is how you differentiate yourself in the mind of the prospect. That is, you position the product in the mind of the prospect.

When a really new product comes along, it's almost always a mistake to hang a well-known name on it. The reason is obvious. A well-known name got well-known because it stood for something. It occupies a position in the prospect's mind. A really well-known name sits on the top rung of a sharply defined ladder. The new product, if it's going to be successful, is going to require a new name. New ladder, new name. It's as simple as that.

The crucial ingredient in the success of any brand is its claim to authenticity.

Strategy should evolve out of the mud of the marketplace, not in the antiseptic environment of an ivory tower.