Its interesting to see so many these days who are keen to damn the brand.

Brand has become a dirty word in many quarters- an exploitative commerical construct, a product of fiendish, manipiulative minds in marketing and marketing services agencies,

aided and added by the pimping research industry.

But brands are no more or no less than 'other peoples' property'.

They dont by defintion belong to the 'hidden persuaders'; they only uniquely exist in a individual's mind, composites of everything they experience, think and feel in connection with the name.

So how can brands be condemned? They are badges of individual perception.

Branding, is  also often accused of being manupulative.

Branding is clearly about how about how you build a discreet and distinctive presence on someones cerebral front lawn.

But criticism of branding practice often relates to the old way of doing it.

You can ask people what they would like and promise to deliver it, and do everything you can to appear like you're it. Old school.

Or you can , as a business, define what it is you are, want to be and how you want to change thre world ( even a small part of it), and then share that with people.

That approach to brand building is far from being manipulative. It much more like being participative.

So maybe we should  stop using brand as a swearword or start putting some money in the swear jar.

 That way, we can fund some good causes; like brands who have a point of view they want to share with the world.

I'll swear to that.