Seventy-five percent of Tide users buy it because their mothers used that brand. So branding is so much more than advertising. A brand signals a set of expectations and a core understanding that drives everything. It comes down to what differentiates the product. Without differentiation, we have no future.
Brands also have to develop trust and loyalty.
People shop at Bloomingdales because they've built trust over time. One of the reasons brands are so big is that they represent a relationship, not a static product. We've been able to expand our consumer relationship by adding new flavors or evidence that our products are effective. Our brands are able to stretch. One of the benefits of branding is brand equity.