As the new fall TV season kicks off, it occurred to me that great brands are a lot like reality TV. Here’s how:

1. You can’t make this stuff up. Great brands aren’t knock-offs of other brands. They’re original.

2. The characters are real and authentic. Great brands don’t try to be something they aren’t. Customers see right through forced and fake brands, or brands that are “too” (fill in the blank).

3. The stories are memorable. The human race thrives and is built on stories. Stories are also sticky. Great stories can help make a brand great.

4. Reality TV created its own category. Breakaway brands have done the same.

5. Even the great brands can turn themselves into train wrecks. Jon & Kate + eight. Even the best-managed brands can implode.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 10:48 am and is filed under Branding, Marketing.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.