What makes a great brand? Whether it is a product or a service — whether
it enhances, assists, or entertains — fundamentally, a brand must provide
a connection. The quality of that connection and how deeply it impacts the
consumer is the critical factor that catapults a brand to greatness. When
we connect to a great brand, we have a visceral reaction. We feel an intrinsic,
emotional link. We want to own it. We want to experience it again and again.
The source of this connection is linked to brand communication. At both the
NFL and Calvin Klein, and now with Cole Haan, I’ve worked with great brands
that have great brand communication. Brand communication is the primary conduit
through which consumers perceive the brand and the outlet in which they connect
to it. Great experience, great design, great advertising, great product:
these are the component pieces that, when combined together cohesively, create
the connection and make a great brand.
