How Do You Become a Top Global Brand?

How do you become a top global brand?

This is a question I get asked since I'm lucky enough to work at a top 20 brand.

Here are some characteristics that many top global brands share. And they apply to big as well as small organizations.

BEST IN BREED
Many top-ranked brands are the gold standard in their category and are continuously innovating to stay on top. For example, Fast Company said of Amazon, “As the way we buy stuff continues to shift fundamentally, the e-commerce giant consistently gets people excited about spending their money.”

MAGIC MOMENTS
Many top-ranked brands deliver consistent and compelling customer experiences. And distinct and emotionally engaging experiences can help differentiate brands from their competition. Starbucks, for example, is excellent at this. Disney is a master at it.

EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME
Top-ranked brands often have mass audience awareness and ubiquitous distribution. Apple and Google are widely talked about. Brands like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Microsoft are everywhere.

Brilliant delivery of these brand basics—outstanding and innovative product quality; compelling and consistent customer experiences; and wide audience awareness and access—can help build valuable brands for any size company.

Two authorities on what makes strong and valuable brands - BAV, the world's largest empirical study of brands, and BrandZ, publisher of a well-known brand value ranking - cite aspects of these in their methodologies and brand-building approaches as well.

By the way, you'll learn more about all of this in Columbia's Masters in Strategic Communications "Value of Brand" course. 

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any other person or entity.