Markaðsfólk...hvað eru vörumerki í raun?

Ég er að lesa alveg frábæra bók þessa dagana "A brand new world" eftir Scott Bedbury.

Sjálfur finn ég mikið fyrir því að fólk skilur ekki alveg hvað vörumerki eru í raun en því fannst mér þessi orð Bedbury frábær:

,,A brand is the sum of the good, the bad, the ugly, and the off-strategy. It is defined by your best product as well as your worst product. It is defined by award winning advertising as well as by the god-awful ads that somehow slipped through the cracks, got approved, and, not surprisingly, sank into oblivion.  It is defined by the accomplishments of your best employee- the shining star in the company who can do no wrong - as well as by the mishaps of the worst hire that you ever made.  

It is also defined by your receptionist and the music your customers are subjected to when placed on hold.  For every grand and finely worded public statement by the CEO, the brand is also defined by derisory customer comments overheard in the hallway or in a chat room on the Internet.  Brands are sponges for content, for images, for fleeting feelings.  They become psychological concepts held in the minds of the public, where they may stay forever.  

As such you can't entirely control a brand.  At best you only guide and influence it."