Hugh MacLeod, the writer-guy who draws (sometimes raunchy) comics on the back of business cards, says brands are a place. “A place where something happens when somebody (not necessarily the customer) interacts with it:
-By interacting with Gerber, she becomes a better-informed mom.
-By interacting with The Wall Street Journal, she becomes more tuned into the world of capitalism.
-By interacting with Apple, she brings her entrepreneurial dreams closer to reality.
-By interacting with McDonald’s, her busy schedule is made slightly easier by avoiding a lot of fuss over lunch.
-By interacting with Ralston Purina, she becomes more attached to her canine friend.
-By interacting with your brand, she becomes…?
And so forth.
Hence why I prefer to use the term ‘Brand Geography’, as opposed to ‘Brand Architecture’.
You go somewhere, something happens, and then you leave. Hopefully something positive happens. The more glaringly obvious the transformation, the better.”
