Ingredient 04
A Form of
Self-Expression
“The brand becomes a form of self-expression for the consumer who buys it. The consumers are carriers of the associations the brand is projecting.”
Consumers often feel that great brands were designed specifically for them — or for the person they aspire to become. This is not coincidence. It is strategy. Strong brands provoke intense emotional responses: people either love or hate them. When consumers love a brand, they become protagonists in its narrative; when they hate it, they become antagonists.
Without compelling associations, brands cannot motivate consumers to carry their message forward. Successful brands invite participation in their story, allowing people to communicate something meaningful about themselves — through every purchase, every use, every public display.
Apple — “Think different”
The “Think different” campaign did not sell products. It sold an identity — that of the creative rebel, the individual who sees the world differently. Millions of people who have never painted a canvas or written a manifesto bought MacBooks to say something about who they are. The brand became a mirror for a desired self.
Stina — Art, islands, and unconventional wine
Consumers of Stina express their appreciation for art, self-expression, islands, and unconventional wine through their purchase. Choosing Stina is not just choosing a wine — it is participating in a creative act. The label invites you in; the story makes you stay.
Froddo — Freedom for the next generation
The Froddo brand invites parents to give their children freedom — and encourages children to make their mark on both their shoes and life. Buying Froddo is an act of parental philosophy: a signal that you believe in authentic childhood, in scraped knees and muddy adventures, in raising children who are fully, gloriously themselves.
The principle
“Successful brands invite participation in their story, allowing people to communicate something meaningful about themselves.”