The Product Paradox
The relationship between product and brand is nearly inextricable. Bill Bernbach said “nothing kills a bad product faster than good advertising.” On the flip side, a great product is undoubtedly the best form of marketing. But the most successful products and services have always gone far beyond function. Winning offerings have stories, social cues, and larger purpose baked in. Breakthrough products champion breakthrough ideas — the whole of product and brand greater than the sum of the parts. Today, amidst all the convergence, clutter and commoditization, I believe bringing product and brand thinking together earlier in the innovation process is the foundation for future success.
Related, below is a fun 2x2 I built to kick-off client engagements and hyper-simplify Idea Couture’s philosophy on brand work. If you’re a brand owner it’s a good little exercise to take an honest look at your offerings and plot where you think you sit today. Then, consider what it will take to get moving towards that top right.
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This post is adapted from an article originally published in the Spring 2014 issue of MISC Magazine. Yes, that is a caterpillar playing gameboy in the bottom right quadrant — illustrations by the awesome Mike Wandelmaier.
