Brand Stories from Brand Champions

Celebrating the Enduring Power of Iconic Brands

There is something extraordinarily powerful about how an iconic brand can forge deep emotional and personal connections with its consumers.

For many of us, a specific and favourite brand will have a private and profound place in our lives, likely to remain there forever.

And we will all have our own personal story as to how that brand touches us and stays with us – a testament to the art and science of the brand builder.

What if we could unlock those myriad stories…?

We wrote to CEOs, decision-makers, entrepreneurs and game-changers in their chosen fields and asked them to tell us their brand story.

The response we got was overwhelming.

Back came wonderful, touching, humorous and revealing stories.

If proof were needed that brands touch and find permanent places in our hearts and minds, here it was.

Bridge City

Fundamentally, shopping is about trust: Trust that value-exchanges will be fair, that transactions are secure, that products will be of expected quality, that the shopping environment is safe, and that all normal social contracts will be respected. Bridge City stands for all of those values.

Joe Jensen about Bridge City

Joe D. Jensen is vice president in the Internet of Things (IoT) Group and general manager of the Retail Solutions Division at Intel Corporation. He leads the team responsible for helping third-party brands and retailers use Intel’s technology to better serve consumers.

— Some of our Brand Champions —

Alison Burns

David Carson

Barbara Hulaniki

Bil Whiting

Bob Jeffrey

Carlos Perez Beruete

I’ve got an iPhone, an iWatch, an iPad, an iMac … I’m ridiculously caught in the system, and I grew up on Windows so it doesn’t always seem intuitive to me. But it feels like technology that serves people rather than the other way around.

Sir Ian Cheshire about Apple

Sir Ian Cheshire is Chairman of Barclays UK and Debenhams Plc. He also works with government departments across Whitehall in his role as Government Lead Non-Executive.

A great brand for me is two things. A promise. And a performance. Soho House’s promise is clear – originality. And its performance is flawlessly professional. That’s a timely, smart and very attractive combination in any category, but particularly in hospitality.

Soho House

Nick Brien about Soho House

Nick Brien is the CEO Americas for Dentsu Aegis Network, the multidisciplinary marketing network. Nick was previously global CEO for iCrossing and President, Hearst Magazine Marketing Services. He is also a board director for OutFront Media, the US leading out-of-home company whilst being an active fundraiser for t1D diabetes research and board director for the JDRF NY Chapter.

Disney

The brand is a family brand. My kids love their stories and Disney inspires a lot of creativity for them in coming up with their own stories. I feel that many of the stories actually provide good education value to children and their families. Disney inspires imagination. It brings fun, love and laughter to me and my family. It is a brand for all time!

Ben Wong about Disney

Ben has extensive insights and experience in consumer marketing and businesses in Asia and US market. He has led many marketing innovations and large-scale campaigns for renowned multinational brands. He managed global brands including brands from Procter & Gamble (Olay, Pampers), Johnson & Johnson (Neutrogena, Clean and Clear, Johnson’s Baby, Stayfree/Carefree), Beiersdorf (Nivea, Eucerin), Mars/Wrigley (Extra, Doublemint, 5, Skittles), Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Starbucks China.

Ene Riisna

Eric Edge

Eve Lom

James Greenfield

Jodi Harris

Joe Jensen

John Watton

The Jets

As a kid I was a big nerd, not about worthy science stuff but cartoons - watching, reading, and drawing them. Then, when I was 10 or so, my dad, a huge sports fan who’d patiently waited for me to grow out of my Peanuts books, navigated me through a magic time in New York sports history, when the Jets, Mets, and Knicks suddenly won championships in an 18 month period.

Robert Smigel on The Jets

Robert Smigel is an American actor, humorist and writer best known for his Saturday Night Live “TV Funhouse” cartoon shorts and as the puppeteer and voice of Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog, which he created for Late Night with Conan O’Brien, where he served as the original Head Writer and Producer. He also co-wrote and produced the Hotel Transylvania films and You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, both starring Adam Sandler.

I remember tying two rectangular cookie tins on my back as oxygen tanks, along with a plastic toy watch as my Rolex, and “dived” into the living room, through all the nooks and crannies in searching for lost treasures.

Rolex

Ken Koo about Rolex

Ken Koo founded Koo Creative Group in 1982, which he built from a staff of four to over 60 members, making it the largest branding/graphic design firm in Vancouver and in Western Canada. In 2000, the Cossette Group of companies acquired Koo Creative Group (Cossette Communications is the largest advertising/communications company in Canada).

Havaianas

They represent to me that moment when you transition from school or work to being at home. They stand for the beach, for summer, for Brazil, for simplicity and peace. I love that in Brazil, whether rich or poor, everyone has their Havaianas.

Maria Cecilia Correa about Havaianas

Cecilia has 20+ years of experience managing end-to-end advertising strategy and execution for IBM as part of their marketing and communications team. She is known for her creativity and ability to get things done collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams. Cecilia began her career at Ogilvy & Mather in Rio de Janeiro, and has an MBA and bachelor’s degrees in communications and business. She has a strong international background and is fluent in English, Portuguese and French.

Sheila Nevins

Jose Avalaos

Kevin Peck

Oliver Laubscher

Sir Ian Cheshire

Sophia Xu

Understated, mildly eccentric, and blessed with a rare talent that he leavens with his charming and diverting sense of humour. “Stop making sense. Logic is predictable. Think differently.” Paul Smith said that. A lesson for all of us.

Paul Smith

Jessica Russell Flint about Paul Smith

British designer and illustrator Jessica Russell Flint and Co. create unique hand-drawn, hand-painted, illustrated pieces from accessories to their newly launching ready-to-wear in silks and their expanding range of homewares.

WABC

To me, it was the sound of summer. Slick with tanning lotion (typically baby oil) we cooled ourselves in Long Island Sound’s sticky salt water and roamed the shore, from one end of the beach to the other. The tiny radios blasted the same station, playing the latest hits. We were all united by Motown, the British Invasion and harmonies of Surf Rock.

Gwen Morrison about WABC

Gwen’s career has been devoted to heightening brand connections as consumers move closer to purchase. While working at creative agencies such as Young and Rubicam, she identified the gap between brand imagery delivered through advertising and the presentation of products at retail. Gwen spent several years at an award-winning interior architecture firm working to create branded environments and experiences. She then launched a retail design unit at a Chicago-based agency where she worked on global brands such as Nike, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s.

It’s not the memories of little league, or swinging a bat that I’m reminded of the most when I see a Jolly Rancher, rather it’s that special time with my dad. For me, that’s what brands should do - they should create an emotional connection, one that makes you feel good every time you experience it.

Jolly Rancher

James Schnepper about Jolly Rancher

James Schnepper is President of GAF, North America’s leading residential and commercial roofing manufacturer. Jim has held a number of key leadership positions at GAF over his more than 20 years with the company. Jim received his MBA from University of Notre Dame, his BA from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale and professional development training from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

The Curator – David Roth

With a love and passion for retailing and the art and science of brand building, David is at WPP as the CEO of The Store, EMEA and Asia, the WPP Global Retail Practice. David also leads WPP BrandZ™, the world’s largest brand equity study and is Chairman of the BAV Group.

An acknowledged expert in retail, China and technology, David has authored a number of books and studies, including A History of Retail in 100 Objects, The Thoughts of Chairmen Now: Wisdom and Insights from China’s Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs and The Next Era of Digital Retailing and The China Dream.

He lectures around the world including CKGSB, Yale and Cambridge.

Get the Book

Over one hundred CEOs, leaders and game-changers tell their funny, moving and revealing stories about their favourite brands.

Many global brands – from food to automotive – are written about. As are smaller, quirky brands. One contributor chose a famous city, and another chose a singer. All feature, along with charming and witty illustrations, in this thought-provoking and inspiring collection.

A must-read for anyone interested in how we enjoy emotional and lasting connections with certain brands ‘Brand Stories from Brand Champions’ is coming soon to Amazon.com for £29.99.

Coming Soon on Amazon