Every advertisement should be thought of as a contribution to the complex symbol which is the brand image.
- David Ogilvy

A brand is the image in the minds of the people that has been built over a period of time supplemented with symbolism, colors, and emotions. and it’s among the most valuable intangible assets an organization can hold.

Make sure that when you put out messaging, whether it’s for an organization you’re working with or it’s for yourself - take a moment to see if it’s in line with the reputation you want to build.

The photo is the Washington Monument. My wife and I wanted to take a trip up to the top, however they close at 5pm. We had arrived at around 6. It made for a good picture though.

Ultimately, brands need to have a role in society. The best way to have a role in society is to understand how people are talking about things in real time.
- Jean-Philippe Maheu, Chief Digital Officer at Ogilvy

Doing business without doing your research is risky business. Before engaging, build a profile for your target audience.

Understand this profile’s lifestyle. Describe it from head to toe, inside and out. It takes a little bit of time, but it’ll allow you to get into their head and understand what makes them tick. What their likes, dislikes, passions and fears are. All together enabling you to figure out how to best impact them.

The photo is of one of the doors to the Masjid Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia. I took it when I went for Hajj back in December of 2006.

A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.
- Jeff Bezos

One of the foundations of strong business strategy is developing a distinctive competency. A strength that is nearly impossible for any other competitor to duplicate.

A great example of this is RED, the company that brought high quality digital motion picture cameras to film at now over 4x the resolution of your typical HD camera making theater quality images just within reach for aspiring filmmakers.

This photo was taken on my way to Banff, Alberta in Summer of 2009. They have some of the most magnificent mountains I’ve ever seen.

The purest treasure mortal times can afford is a spotless reputation.
- William Shakespeare

The image of a brand is built by publicity over a period of time. Social media has put a turbo charger on that wheel allowing brands to be built (and destoryed) faster. When you engage your audience, do it with integrity and in a manner that’s praisworthy. Otherwise life will become difficult.

This is photo of the minerate of the Islamic Center of DC.