Creating a distinctive brand identity, managing it successfully and responding to customer expectations is becoming more and more important for business success. Jens Grefen, Senior Executive Creative Director at branding consultancy Interbrand, explains what consistent brand management means and the importance of a strong brand identity.
Interview by Thomas Wagner
Digital transformation and sustainability are almost standard, and circular production is on the agenda in many industries. What does this mean for a successful brand policy?
Jens Grefen: There are many factors influencing companies today. The world is becoming more complex – and this is related to the requirements I mentioned earlier. That doesn’t necessarily make brand management any easier. But why are these demands there? Because customers expect it. It’s not just about selling products as profitably as possible. It is also about delivering value. The exciting part comes when customers shape their experience of a brand through their expectations. If you don’t meet these challenges, as a business you will always be playing catch-up with customer expectations.
Is brand management becoming more sophisticated?
Jens Grefen: Absolutely. Because branding is for the long term, not like an advertising campaign that ends after three weeks. Our brand work sometimes changes entire business models because we look at a company’s business challenge and try to add value through the lens of brand consultancy.
Is digitisation still an issue?
Jens Grefen: The first question is: what does digitisation mean? This reminds me of the time when agility suddenly became a big issue and everyone was talking about it. What they meant was: Do things the same way, but faster. Digitisation is similar. The pandemic has certainly made work more digital. The importance of maintaining digital channels has changed. However, I would question the extent to which digital processes have been implemented across all industries. We see a brand as a holistic construct: At the end of the day, the company must deliver a unique experience to the customer, one that is recognisable and demonstrates coherence and consistency.
‘We see a brand as a holistic construct: At the end of the day, the company must deliver a unique experience to the customer, one that is recognisable and demonstrates coherence and consistency.’
– Jens Grefen, Senior Executive Creative Director of Interbrand
How can a brand create an emotional connection with its customers?
Jens Grefen: As a customer – but also as an employee – I need to know that the company I am dealing with has a strong position in the market and that it communicates this consistently. Imagine if Apple made a washing machine. Anyone could immediately fill a flipchart with what the machine could do, what it couldn’t do and what it would look like. This is directly related to the brand experience in its purest form. Consistency is important, but so is the flexibility to handle different forms of communication appropriately. A brand no longer sells just a product; it sells the image, the experience and the values behind it. Nobody buys an Apple product just because it’s Apple; they buy it because it’s sleek, beautiful, easy to use, has a great ecosystem and so on… All of this is what I, as a customer, am buying – and this is what companies need to create today: a brand attitude that is understood. This creates loyalty and ensures that customers will buy the next product.
What is the role of climate change in brand development?
Jens Grefen: Today, climate protection is an essential part of the hygiene of a brand. In almost every industry. Some industries are under more scrutiny than others, but that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t address the issue in a meaningful way. We just launched a brand for OMV, the Austrian oil and gas company. They really need to talk about net zero and act accordingly. And they want to and are doing so by consistently adapting their business model. This is a case of attitude and action. I would find it harder, for example, if Primark suddenly started telling us how environmentally friendly their textiles are that are flown from India to Europe, when the production processes are anything but sustainable and ‘fast fashion’ would certainly offer a different starting point for sustainability.
How important is honesty?
Jens Grefen: If I want to be perceived in a certain way, I have to behave accordingly. A company that values the environment and sustainability and wants to communicate this to the market will talk about it louder than others. But what attitude do I want to have? Do I say to people, “Hey, we are still part of the problem, but we are tackling it and solving it together”? Or am I just going to use climate change as a smokescreen for the next CSR campaign? It’s really a question of honesty and credibility.
Does “purpose” play a role?
Jens Grefen: There has been a lot of discussion about purpose in recent years. We also have clients who want more purpose. And that’s great, especially if you don’t have a clear direction. But ‘purpose’ is often very vague and fluffy – the big goal on the horizon. ‘We make the world a better place’ could be claimed by almost any company. It is far more important for a company to articulate clearly where it is going. Brand positioning is not a black box where miracles happen. We work with clients to formulate an ambition that is very concrete and time-bound. For example, ‘We want to improve our sustainability by X percent in five years, and this is how we’re going to get there’. You can make adjustments along the way. That’s brand work. A brand must be measured by its actions, not its intentions. That’s why posture matters.
‘A brand must be measured by its actions, not its intentions. That’s why posture matters.’
– Jens Grefen, Senior Executive Creative Director of Interbrand
So, successful brand management is measured by the steps taken to achieve a specific goal and how well it is communicated, right?
Jens Grefen: Customers won’t invest in a brand they don’t like. No matter how comfortable the jumper is, they are unlikely to buy it. But if it’s known that the company cares, that they’ll even replace the zip on an old jacket because they’re serious about sustainability and repair, then customers will feel good about interacting with and owning the product. They will be happy to become brand ambassadors because the brand image is in line with how they want to position themselves, for example as ‘I live sustainably’.
What has changed in recent years?
Jens Grefen: The role of brands has changed significantly in recent years. In the past it was mainly about identification: A company would stamp a product to identify it as its own. Later, it became clear that brands are valuable assets that need to be strategically managed and nurtured. Over time, the focus shifted to the experience: Companies like Apple invested in physical stores to create experiences and communities around their brand. Today, the focus is on attitude and values. Brands need to take an authentic stance and make their responsibilities visible – far beyond products and experiences.
Has brand management become more political?
Jens Grefen: Absolutely! At some point you have to take a stand. If you try to please everyone, you end up convincing no one. Community building, the idea that a brand stands for something and therefore attracts like-minded people, is definitely important. In our Best Global Brands rankings, we see that brands that prioritise ‘leadership’ and ‘stance’ and align their work accordingly, experience disproportionate growth and perform exceptionally well.
What do you see as the biggest challenges in brand development?
Jens Grefen: For me, the fusion of strategic and creative thinking is particularly exciting. It helps us to advise brands in a different way. And that’s also the challenge: brand work belongs in the boardroom, not just – as we still see far too often – at the project level within marketing. Companies need to see their brand as a tool to help them meet their business challenges. Branding isn’t just about spending money (a phrase we often hear); it creates value – for companies, but also for customers, partners and employees. When the power of a brand is understood and harnessed, something truly iconic can emerge. And that’s what we work on with our clients.
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About the Author
Thomas Wagner was born in 1955 and studied German and Philosophy in Heidelberg and Brighton (Sussex). While still a student, he began working as an art critic and freelance journalist. From 1986 he wrote for the art section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, where he was chief editor for visual arts and design from 1991 to 2007. He then continued to work as a freelance author, art critic and columnist. Wagner published an online magazine for Stylepark and was editor of the German Design Council’s design report magazine. He is currently online journalist for ndion. Wagner has also taught as a visiting, guest and honorary professor and was a founding member of the DGTF (German Society for Design Theory and Research). He has served on numerous juries and continues to be active in the field.
