A competitor is a valuable foil that unites a company from within and pushes the brand's boundaries.

Once you know the reason why - you've defined your white space of canvas on which you can paint and create a new concept idea. No matter how creative you are - and thus how much creative space you need - there's always some fundamental values and drivers your brand should seek to address - in order to become successful.

If you were to close your eyes and walk into a place of worship, the sounds and smells would alert you to where you were: ringing bells, incense, the rumble of a massive organ. Most brands are lacking these sensory stimuli.

Opinion free brands simply will struggle to survive in the future - of that simple reason that we increasingly want to associate ourselves with opinionated and authentic brands.

A global brand building strategy is, in reality, a local plan for every market.

Word-of-mouth is powerful, trusted, and cheap.

The consumer has become increasingly sophisticated in the way they obtain and digest information - of the simple reason that they've become comfortable about building and maintaining their own personal brands. This has thickened their "filter" and as a result made them become more critical towards advertising and communication.