Which is more important -- the brand or the product?
Posted by Renee Hopkins Callahan
It was not your usual he said/she said, though it may have started that way.
Branding guru Laura Ries wrote in a blog post:
"Building strong brands is the key to success, in our opinion, not better products or better
people."
Corante Network blogger Tom Asacker's reaction:
"Wow! I couldn't agree with her . . . less."
Thus started a discussion that has involved several other Corante Network bloggers. And
no surprise -- it's hard to imagine an issue that goes more directly to the heart of what
marketing is all about.
Mary Schmidt posted a take on this topic:
"Lots of interesting discussion going on about how 'the brand' is more important than the
product; marketing (style) trumps substance; being first is better than being best; and so on.
Ah yah. Tom, Laura – I think both of you are terrific thinkers (and – ahem – brands), but
this is the sort of discussion that confuses the heck out of non-marketers. They just want to
know how to build and sustain a business."
To which Tom replied (in the comments),
"I’m one of the biggest proponents for eliminating the confusing distinctions and focusing
attention and resources on what matters most. And what matters most is what the customer
feels is value to him or her. Period. That is the essence of a business (a.k.a brand)!"
Jennifer Rice also posted her view on the discussion:
"Marketing shouldn't be forgotten. We need to find a balance. But [their] emphasis on
marketing and being first unfortunately doesn't address the core need we have today of
getting back to the basics and creating something worth talking about."
In order to get to all of the discussion, be sure to read the comments in all of the posts I'm
linking to here. And for more of Tom's views on what the point of marketing should be, be
sure to read his thought-provoking Clarity: Marketing's New Task:
"Until marketers understand and embrace the concept of clarity, we’ll continue to witness
millions wasted on new logos, goofy ads, viral campaigns, reality TV, blogs, stadium
naming, et al. And CMO’s will continue to lose their jobs (as they should), on average,

of Context Analytics. “While this study focused on how the volume of media coverage
relates to brand value, reputation in the media is often a greater predictor of brand value
and business outcomes such as sales than volume alone.”
In industries that exhibit a stronger link between media coverage and brand value,
managers in these product categories need to pay special attention to the way the brand’s
value is impacted by its communications activities, Text 100 said.
About the research: This study included the 99 of the 100 brands featured in the 2008 Best
Global Brands report (Thomson-Reuters, was excluded because it is a media company, and
the Reuters brand name appears in an extremely large number of articles). Context
Analytics and Text 100 are currently working on a second report that will assess exactly
how the tone of media coverage relates to brand value. This next report will also evaluate
how newer forms of media, such as consumer-generated media, relate to brand value.