11. Branding and marquetry

11.1 What is a brand

The brand is the invisible promise between a company and its customer for its product. At least, that's the theory, because in practice, it's the opposite. The brand depends on the subjective opinion of consumers as to whether the company's promise is true or false, satisfactory or unsatisfactory. The balance of power has been reversed: communication has gone from all-powerful sender to dependent receiver.

The brand doesn't sell anything: it doesn't present the consumer's advantage, it doesn't talk about the product's functionality (which is what the sale does).

...