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René Descartes, a towering figure of the scientific revolution, described the mind as non-physical, as opposed to the brain, which he reasoned is made of matter. His position, referred to in philosophy as dualism, seems like common sense: everyday experience suggests our own thoughts must be "made up" of something very different from our bodies and the solid objects around us.
But while some continue to debate the mind/body issue, the majority of today's experts agree that, despite our subjective experience, the mind and the brain are not separable; they are simply two ways of talking about the same thing.
It's this kind of philosophy that can be applied to brands. Like Descartes' view of the mind, some businesspeople still perceive brand as existing in another realm, away from the real-world activities that keep a business running, such as manufacturing, accounting and managing employees. They use "brand" to refer to an intangible thing that is related to, but separate from, the more tangible business entity it represents. It's why entrepreneurs ask questions such as, how can I create a brand for my new venture? It's why executives at mega-corporations insist: that's good for the brand, but it's a poor business decision.
The brand is the business
This separation between brand and business has proven useful. If the brand is a thing unto itself, it can be managed, measured and valued in order to better understand its potential.
But drawing a line between brand and business also leads to confusion and missed opportunities. To extend the philosophy metaphor further, one of the biggest problems for dualism is the "problem of interactionism" – the idea that if the mind and body are made of different kinds of stuff, how can one affect the other?
The brand/business dualism faces the same challenge; in order to have any impact, the brand must be able to influence the rest of the company. It cannot simply be a "ghost in the machine" – it must be of the machine; it must be part of finance's investment decisions, and HR's treatment of employees and approach to recruiting. To achieve this level of integration, we must deconstruct the concept of "brand".
Building a focused, cohesive organisation
We are now seeing the dawn of a different, more pragmatic way of thinking about brands, in a few key ways:
• The collective intent of an organisation: its vision, purpose or promise
• Its identity: how it looks and sounds; its personality and style
• The holistic experience an organisation creates for customers and others
While "brand" could refer to any of these elements, breaking them apart allows us to see how each can interact with and impact the business. The benefits of these elements are several.
1. Broad and diverse
A single, clear intent (or purpose) can positively change everything a business does and inspire what it does next. Whether it's Apple's vision of beautiful simplicity or Airbnb's dedication to pioneering the sharing economy, purpose unites. When the people comprising an organisation – from c-suite executives to factory floor – understand and align with a focused intent, the business benefits on every level.
2. Deep
One role of an integrated identity is to encode that intent and preserve it as an organisation grows and diversifies. This can keep an organisation centred and on the right track, even as founders step away, or when short-term opportunities compete with long-term goals.
Twenty years ago, it might have made sense to say: "I love this brand but I hate how it runs its business." But today, this sort of statement has lost meaning. Thanks to social media, consumers know more about the products they buy and the companies that make them. While they might still enjoy a brand's ads or admire its products, if consumers don't approve of the a company's business practices, said brand will not be their brand of choice.
3. Interconnected
The business must be perceived as one whole experience, taking the entire organisation into account at once, even while focusing on individual projects or pieces. It also means that changes in one part of the system influence all other parts.
Actions like launching a new product or creating a new role within the company must align with every facet of the existing experience. In turn, they should also change the experience. In other words, the experience should be thought of as a flexible network that adapts to new things rather than a rigid grid into which every new thing must fit.
The advantage of thinking holistically
As with mind/body dualism, the distinction between the tangible business and the intangible brand is little more than a convenient illusion. For those of us charged with "bringing brands to life," it's a mindset that has outlived its utility.
Leaders who let intent impact everything their organisation does, broadly and in diverse ways, have an advantage over those who think in terms of business strategy versus brand strategy. Like modern science's view of the mind as a property of the brain, these leaders understand their brand is not something separate and superficial. It's why they won't just build a better brand; they'll build a better business.
Rob Meyerson is director of verbal identity at Interbrand San Francisco – follow him on Twitter @RobMeyerson
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