This article describes a new method for developing brands using Hollywood screenplay writing techniques. It overcomes many of the drawbacks in conventional brand development methodologies. But it will also prove useful in the emerging field of reputation management, as audiences watch and judge the performance of companies in national media.

Brand development methodologies have become institutionalised in marketing departments, thanks in large part to the efforts of advertising agencies and brand consultancies who used them as a conceptual and sales tool for selling-in advertising and corporate identity. This might have been acceptable when advertising...