Your customers do.

Seem counterintuitive?

Branding is an art, not a science. And the cardinal sin that you may commit is assuming that you (or – gasp – your marketing agency) knows your customers best, knows what they want, understands them perfectly. Absolutely, you should aspire to do just that. But at the end of the day, your customers and clients are the power behind your brand.

Uberbrands are built by the consumers who love them. They shape them, react to them, talk about them. The most brilliant marketers can merely hang around, listen closely, and respond to what their customers are already asking for.

That also means that the ever-elusive “buzz” is not something you can manufacture. You cannot force something to be “viral”, as viral – by its very nature – is something organic, self-populating. There are no guarantees. Create things and ideas worth talking about, and let your customers and would-be customers do the rest. That’s the beauty and simplicity of this kind of marketing, which really isn’t marketing at all. It’s conversation.

Be true to the brand that your customers have helped build for you. Give them more than they could ask for, be sincere, and they’ll return the favor.