uyb-culture-what-a-brand-is
A brand is the emotional connection between a customer and a business, it's the gut instinct, the reason to believe you're making the right choice over a competitor. Even the most utilitarian choices carry emotion somewhere, brands that don't chase it end up with one anyway, built through experience. Apple over Samsung for the ecosystem, The Guardian over the Telegraph for the message, Adidas over Nike for the style, Costa over Starbucks for the product, that's emotional clarity working. Apple's an interesting case of losing it though, the hardware was revolutionary, but the software now feels like a tolerated subscription rather than something to love. Emotion is the currency of choice, whether that's Apple's ecosystem or Costa's hot chocolate, and when a brand loses its way the disconnect is obvious.