Wrestling with each of the four areas is productive, yet the power of the Brand Triangle lies in seeing and understanding how they interact. Clearly, the brand’s image affects people’s initial opinion and expectation of the product. Great products, over time, have established a brand’s image. Conversely, a series of misfires on the product front have undone more brands than you can shake a worthless stock certificate at.

Culture, in the center of the triangle, drives the other three. Sometimes it works behind the scenes as companies develop their products and programs. Or it can be working with customers, whether at the retail level or within the company itself. Help lines, customer assistance, field staffs with both retail and customer exposure, and all employees who influence the marketing, public relations, and product development contribute to the image of the Brand. The employees must first “get it,” otherwise there’s not a hope in hell that your customers will understand and believe in your brand, let alone form a relationship with it. No matter how brilliant a product or marketing campaign you create, the first employee a customer encounters can cement or destroy that relationship.

The Brand Triangle does not argue that you be best in all four areas; it does prod you to be you in all four areas. You decide in a world of finite resources where you need to have the greatest impact on your customers. Most likely that will fall into a single area. You then must orchestrate the remaining components so that they reinforce your strategy.

Brand Rules^SM uses the Brand Triangle with its clients to craft an experience that will consistently deliver their brand promise. Inevitably, applying the Brand Triangle reveals inconsistencies and missed opportunities. It has shown companies the mixed messages and incompatibility of various components in their business plan. More importantly, it has helped clients build a five star ownership experience for their customers.