If you're a fan of metaphors, you might like this one for thinking about how brands grow. Here’s the idea:
· Like trees, brands take time to grow and require key nutrients such as innovation and advertising.
· For a brand to become big and strong (i.e. come to mind for many people when they are buying the category), new layers need to be added to its trunk over time, each one firmly attached to previous layers.
· Using a consistent set of Distinctive Brand Assets helps ensure efficient, healthy growth. Having. a core brand idea may also help ensure everything the brand does gels together well in memory.
· These layers of memory are built from experiences with the brand and its communications across all touch points.
· Young brands do well to have an idea of the final size of their trunk. Not all brands aspire to be the biggest tree in the forest. Some choose to focus on certain usage contexts (Category Entry Points) and shape their innovations and communications accordingly.
· Once a brand has chosen the CEPs in which it wants to compete, it must also decide whether to build associations with all of them from the start or adopt a staggered approach spanning years.
· Finally, it should consider whether to divide its target audience into a few segments and use tailored communications and different media channels to reach and influence each segment more effectively.

What to learn more? Try asking Virtual Dan White.