From mind share to culture share

Brands that become cultural icons are guided by principles diametrically opposed to conventional wisdom in marketing. These principles are today unknown to managers because they are ensconced in what I call the mind share model of branding. Mind share abstracts from culture and history, leading to brands that have little relevance in the culture. I use a case study of Snapples' rise to iconic stature in the early Nineties to demonstrate the fundamental culture share principles that are required to build icons. I developed these principles by conducting brand genealogies of many of the most powerful icons of postwar American history. I argue that, to create cultural value, brand strategies must be grounded in history and culture rather than abstracted exercises in defining essences and personalities.