What Defines Great Brands?

Ever wake up in the middle of the night wanting to build something great? I know it well. You’ve got a vision and you wish you could build it over night. In these times, I research, looking with a fine-toothed comb at the biggest brands and what they’ve done right.

And I don’t just mean large companies. I’m talking about the brands that stick. The logos you’ll never forget. The brands that engage you and make you feel like part of a tribe. The brands you’re loyal to.

The Base Line - A Great Product

Let’s get this out of the way. If you have a bad product and a strategic marketing team, you have a fighting chance at going viral, but your product will be a fad - rapid rise, rapid fall - not a built-to-last brand.

While thinking about the brands that have loyal followings, a handful come to mind right away.

They all started with a quality product. Quality fabric, innovative software, the Swiss-made Mastrena espresso machine, and an energy drink that works. But is that all that’s propelling them? A product? Clearly not. Workout gear. Computers. Search algorithms. Coffee. Energy drinks. What do these brands have in common? What does society identify with?

You have to admit, there’s an epic coolness factor in each of these big brands. And by associating themselves with these brands, the coolness factor permeates through consumers. Revenue soars. Red Bull took in just shy of $6.5 billion in revenue in the year 2012 and I believe a majority is owed to this coolness factor.

So how do you catch the coolness?

Challenge The Status Quo

The innovators behind these brands used their vision to fuel the refusal to do what everyone else is doing. Create a culture that YOU believe in within your business and it will spread to those who do business with you, and to those who see you doing business. Starbucks’ coolness factor became apparent when every person had “their Starbucks drink.” Starbucks baristas can reportedly make up to 87,000 different drinks through combinations of syrups, espressos, toppings, and beyond. They challenged the average cup of coffee to enable consumers to make it their own.

Call To Action

These brands inspire their users to get up and do something. They’re engaging and involving consumers in their mission, especially by releasing content that is so cool, it makes us want to be a part of it. Red Bull has developed their coolness factor by sponsoring athletes and dare devils, a particular type of coolness that defies the odds. Through unique sponsorship, they’ve captivated the world and now, not only is the world watching, it’s doing.

Help Others Achieve Their Goals

Any marketer will know, promoting your brand should be about what the customer will get out of it. If it helps them achieve their own goals, they’re going to speak your praises and invest in the coolness of your brand. Lululemon works from the ground up. They offer a cleanly-branded logo on high quality fabrics at a higher price tag, but provide something more. Support. The retail stores get involved in their communities, and local gyms, rounding up consumers and helping them set intentions and achieve their goals. Seeing others participate in bettering themselves creates a coolness that others want to join in on which fuels grassroots initiatives and brand loyalty.

Tell An Authentic Story

Apple ads. They get us every time. The music is on point, sure, but what else? Listen to the narrative. Again and again, Apple continues to tell a story with their products. The real authentic people using them are people we want to emulate in some way. In order to get us closer to that authenticity, in seeking that unique coolness within ourselves, not only do we share their stories, we purchase the products and shout it from the rooftops. Authentic stories are cool. That’s why, despite the smell, our local dive bar is packed every weekend.

Create A Unique Culture

Coolness also comes from within the office walls. Especially if your product isn’t tangible, the coolness can resonate with your people. The collaboration of passionate people with integrity will create an energized work atmosphere and that should be promoted. Search algorithms aren’t cool, but the people creating them at Google are in a cool environment and promotion of that environment has contributed immensely to their reputation for greatness.

How do YOU think these brands became great?