Oh, wait, they don't mean those type of brands ...
Last week in Getting Ahead we spoke with Dan Cathy -- CEO of Chick-Fil-A -- about the importance of branding.
Now, in its upcoming issue, BusinessWeek comes out with a special report on the power of passionate consumers during its annual look at the best global brands.
But these days the relationship between brands and their customers has become much more complex. For one thing, consumers simply know more than they used to. The Internet opens up a wealth of information, allowing for instant price and quality comparisons. But consumers demand more from the brands they love than simple reliability; passionate consumers want their brands to become a form of self-expression. Increasingly, consumers are customizing products and services to achieve that -- whether it's tailoring colors on a pair of sneakers from Nike Inc. or adding items to their personal to-watch list on eBay.
Among the companies BW examines are Coca-Cola, Starbucks and McDonalds, all members of its 10 most valuable brands group. (Here's the complete list.)
Posted by tgibbons at July 26, 2004 03:46 PM