Customers decide what the brand is.
Marty Neumeier is on my short list of inspiring brand design teachers. I cite him often in my own workshops. His mission is “to bring the principles and process of design to business”. I'm in.
BrandKnew mag has a great short interview with the wise one. It’s like reading the Cliff Notes of one of his books.
MN: “Brands have narratives that play out over time. But the important narrative is not the one told by the company, but by its customers. Customers decide what the brand is. It’s the company’s job to offer the raw materials with which to create the narrative—the products, experiences, and behaviors that customers interpret for themselves.”
Interview: Closing the Gap Between Design and Branding