Interesting commentary piece on branding. I particularly liked your statement that “branding is not something you choose to do to your business. It’s something that your CUSTOMERS do to you.”

I would say that the most successful brands and companies take it a step further….

Branding is then “something that the company and customer do together”. Many large brands including Coke and GM have been leveraging consumer generated content to establish this dynamic (e.g. The GM Tahoe Create Your Own Commercial). However most of these efforts are short-term campaigns that lack the continuity to make a significant impact. Harley Davidson is an example of a brand that has been forged by both company and customer. In the early 90s Saturn promised to be one of these brands as well – taking car ownership into a communal experience.