The Kabuki dilemma. The challenge of transformational relevance and a soup-to-nuts solution to meet it

Sean Corcoran, Shashank Tripathi and Shigeo Okazaki

Contemporary brand building is no longer a one-way street where organizations vie for consumers' trust and action, but a dynamic, interactive process of conversation between brands, consumers and other stakeholders.

The Kabuki Dilemma

The challenge of transformational relevance and a soup-to-nuts solution to meet it

Shigeo OkazakiBrand Creation Center, Dentsu Inc., Japan

Shashank TripathiBrand Creation Center, Dentsu Inc., Japan

Sean CorcoranBrand Creation Center, Dentsu Inc., Japan

Anthony Quayle once remarked, “To understand a man, you must know his memories.” The same could probably be said of today's brands. Or so conventional branding wisdom would have us believe, given its prevalent infatuation with the notion of “brand equity”.

The overwhelming significance of brands in consumer decision making is uncontested in both everyday practice and academic research. What is...

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