Gone are the days when companies could patronise their consumers. People these days are more creative, more selective, and they feel more empowered. Witness for example the increased brand promiscuity in financial services. People are also deluged with information and opportunity. The brands they select and build relationships with are those who treat them as intelligent adult partners, not witless infantile drones. If you want these people as your customers, your branding strategy must acknowledge this.

When trying to build a brand, people often get obsessed with creating strap lines, and coming up with catchy signature phrases. But they're not necessary to build a great brand.

People are busy. They don't respond well to brands which have lost that human perspective, and are the equivalent of the saloon-bar bore. However, they do respond well to a brand that clearly "knows its place" in people's lives - a brand that spells accessibility, flexibility, humanity, and often a sense of humour. Allow the customer to have a major say in how and when he drives the brand relationship. And move from traditional CRM to CMR (customer relationship management to customer-managed relationships).

Brands are primarily what you do, not what you say.

Be consistent with your brand's presentation.

Be a customer-focused brand, but not a customer-led one.