Definition of Brand

There's a great blog debate going on over at the Tom Peters site about the definition of brand. Christopher Kenton wrote a piece a few weeks back in Business Week Online about the definition of brand which I think significantly misses the mark. His thinking is very conventional and outwardly focused.

I believe that brands are a lot like art, their definitions are personal. Sort of, you know one when you see one. That's not to say that there are not some principles that apply to all brands (see Universal Brand Principles), but I do not believe there is a universal definition for "Brand."

When we allow brands to be personal things, it frees us a great deal to explore our own brands, whether they are corporate or personal, and decide the best way to develop, promote and engage with them. If you look at the great brands of the world, there is no standard manual they all followed to get to where they are today. Each followed its own, undefined path to success.

Ask yourself - What path is my brand on? Am I following the universal principles? How am I connecting with my customers? Is my brand a performance?