We live in a demanding world – demanding because many of our fundamental beliefs are put to the test along with established pillars of both society and the economy. This makes it particularly important to check the validity of old habits and old paradigms so that we can break away from outdated patterns of brand theory, brand management and brand strategy and replace them with adequate tools that can respond to the forces that shape the future of branding.

In our book, Connective Branding, we have attempted to analyse these forces and their impact on branding. We want to empower our readers to see new patterns emerge, draw relevant new connections and build successful brands in this new branding environment. Connective Branding also guides the reader through a step-by-step practical process which can be followed in sequence or used in a modular fashion.

In more than 120 interviews with marketing practitioners, branding experts, and academics we have confirmed our hypotheses about the way branding is changing. We have researched and surveyed brands such as Aer Lingus, Aral, BMW, BP, Deutsche Bank, Ducati, Edun, Google, innocent drinks, Lacoste, LEGO Group, Manner, Maggi, Orange, Old Mutual, Rabobank, Sony, SOS Childrens Village, Siemens, Thomas Sabo, TED/United, TUI, UBS, Vauxhall, Wal-Mart, Wikimedia, any many more, making sure to draw on examples from across the globe in order to give the book sufficient cultural depth.

Connective Branding suggests a number of shifts from traditional branding

• Broadening of audiences – moving beyond a sole focus on the customer and building brand-consistent relationships with employees, investors, partners, suppliers, distributors, special interest groups and any other key stakeholders
• Networked collaboration – moving beyond the notion that the marketing department is the sole owner of the brand by empowering deputizing brand champions within the organisation and encouraging systematic collaboration with all functions touching the brand
• Living Brand Values from within – moving beyond the emphasis on external image creation and harnessing the power of employees to enact the brand, thereby creating a brand that permeates the entire organisation and cultivating authenticity
• Building Interactive Relationships – moving beyond one-way, disruptive and manipulative communication to interactive brand co-creation
• Addressing Corporate Social Responsibility strategically – moving beyond a paradigm that sees profitability and doing good as conflicting goals, and embracing CSR as a strategic opportunity that benefits both the company and society at large

Connective Branding not only provides a framework to facilitate these shifts, but also guides the reader through a step-by-step practical process. After reading this book every brand strategist should be able to answer the following questions

• How can I strengthen the brand? Where do I start? What are the critical success factors? Who needs to be involved?
• How do I know if every part of the organisation lives the brand? How can I make sure this is the case?
• How can I create a strong and relevant connection between the brand and key stakeholders?
• How can I develop and expand the brand? How can I make sure it can facilitate key business objectives?
• How do I best manage the brand? How do I cultivate and empower brand enthusiasts in the organisation? How do I foster and leverage networked collaboration?
• How can I address CSR as part of brand strategy?
• How can I protect the brand in times of crisis and turmoil?