Branding insights from Buddhist traditions

In both the spiritual and secular worlds, the individual search for the soul calls for an understanding of the self in the context of the world around them. Spiritual growth is all about enlightenment through understanding the higher power, the journey, and the world around you.

The link to branding lies in how effective branding creates relevance and connects an individual with an aspect of the larger community and creates relevance and that in developing effective brands, one must keep an open mind and make strong observations.

Bernard Liebov postulates three strands of brand research "in the Buddhist way:"

1. Generate an internal understanding of the brand. Look to those who are ultimately in control of where the brand will go and determine future pathways for an accurate and encompassing brand.
2. Understand the connection of the consumers' immediate world to create a strong path for the brand's growth and establishment.
3. Connect the brand in the context of the broader world. Identify an open space that can be filled by the brand and how that space relates to others.

Remember that everything a brand does should be reflective of its core identity, and that consistency serves as the ultimate reward for those who work behind the brand. Connect to a purpose, generate a vision of achievement, create a plan of action and communicate consistently to that end. Good practice, good business -- and maybe, just maybe, enlightenment too.