Brand focus: why great brands just say 'no'

Claude Singer, senior vice-president at Siegal & Gale, believes that maintaining brand differentiation is a ceaseless exercise in saying no: no to fads, no to temptations to wander from a brand’s core, no to departing from what makes a brand great.

Brand Focus: Why Great Brands Just Say 'No'

Claude Singer

People have observed that a baby's first word is often 'no'. A friend of mine says that his infant son's first word was 'no' and that his first complete phrase was 'no way'.

Why 'no' is such a common first utterance is understandable. Babies are fussed with, propped up, wrapped up, cooed over, kissed and badgered. No wonder that, under such circumstances, the little critters communicate defiance. 'No' is...

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