Brands are important and valuable, but on the users’ terms.
For a long time the human race thought the sun revolved around the world. Then we figured it out.
I think brands and users are in a similar dynamic. Users don’t revolve around brands (even if they LOVE them, like Apple, the Corvette, & Manchester United), Brands revolve around users. Users bring brands into their own lives. Users add significance and context to Brands, not the other way around.
Canon helps me take pictures of important moments in my life. Those moments are going to happen with or without Canon.
Brands take up space in our lives when we let them in. Brand stewards create platforms for us to connect with, keep the brand relevant to their target markets, basically create opportunities for us to connect with brands.