4-D Branding by Thomas Gad offers a revolutionary four-dimensional model for understanding brand strengths and weaknesses. It can just as easily be used to create a new brand or analyze the strategic options for established brands. The model enables companies to create their own unique ‘brand code’ or ‘mindspace’. The brand code represents an organization’s unique corporate DNA , which can be used to drive every aspect of the business - from product innovation to recruitment.
Determine the Brand Mind Space of your organization as described in the reading 4-D Branding:
• Functional Dimension
• Mental Dimension
• Spiritual Dimension
• Social Dimension
4D-Branding argues that in an era of transparent markets, branding has four dimensions:
The functional dimension: Everything to do with physical quality, taste, style & efficiency. Depend too heavily on this dimension and you run the risk of copycats stealing your market.
The social dimension: Buyers in any market make their purchase decision subjectively. It is based on what they feel best conveys or portrays their social identity. With growing instability, brands are increasingly powerful definers of social standing.
The mental dimension: In every human being there is an inner landscape of mental programming. 4D-Brands touch the soul. The spiritual dimension: Understand the spiritual and you understand the connections between the brand, the product or the company, and the bigger system of which we are all part.
The spiritual dimension: is now purposely used to build brands. It is not a token gesture or a fashionable statement. To work it has to be believed and lived.
Set up your descriptions using the same 4-D model diagram as used in the book.
Determine the CURRENT perceptions of the organization.
Write a statement for each dimension in the first person. use the Virgin airlines and or IKEA example.