joumal of Marketing Management 1999, 15,43-51

Kevin Lane Keller

Brand Mantrais: Rationale, Criteria and Examples

hi this paper, we consider how marketing managers can benefit from the concept of a "brand mantra." We examine how brand montras relate to brand positioning and a related concept, "core brand associations." Our focus is on how brand mantras can be used to improve intemal brand management We consider design and implementation issues in temi of characteristics of good A/nos Tuck School of brand mantras as well as process issues in developing Business brand mantras. It is noted that brand mantras, as with Dartmouth College Nike's "authentic athletic perfonnance" and Disney's "fun family entertainment" often consist of three words that combine brand functions with descriptive and emotional modifiers. Procedurally, brand mantras are developed at the same time as brand positioning. At tlwt time, brand mantras would then be judged on their ability to effectively communicate, simplify, and inspire, as reflected by employee research.

Organizational Brand Management Through Brand Mantras Introduction An increasing number of firms have embraced branding as a business priority and marketing imperative. Despite that fact many firms are unsure as to exactly what they should do to effectively manage their brands and maximize their equity. Much of the branding literature has taken an extenial perspective to focus on strategies and tactics that firms should take to build or manage brand equity with customers. Without question, at the heart of all marketing activity should be the positioning of a brand and the "essence" of its meaning with consumers. In tenns of strategic and tactical importance, properly positioning a bmnd is essential to creating a strong brand. Equally important, however, is "positioning the brand internally,' i.e, the manner by which the