Your CFO Hates the Word 'Branding.' Here's What to Say Instead
Here's the cold, hard truth: "branding" is dead. Not the discipline – that's more vital than ever. But the term itself? It's killing us. It's killing our budgets, our influence, and our ability to drive real business change.
I've spent decades in boardrooms watching CEOs and CFOs nod politely at brand presentations while mentally slashing budgets. They'll approve millions for demand gen campaigns, but suggest a brand evolution? Suddenly everyone becomes a fiscal conservative.
The problem isn't the discipline. The problem is the word.
The Language of Business is Numbers
When I say "branding," executives hear "expensive creative exercise." But what if I replaced it with something like "Market Identity Engineering.” That might make them lean forward in their chairs. Same work, different operating system.
This isn't just semantics. This is about translating our work into the language of business impact.
Tesla built a market identity so powerful that they've become one of the world's most valuable brands without spending on traditional advertising. According to Interbrand, their brand value grew 184% in 2021 alone.
Apple's market identity engineering delivers extraordinary results: they capture roughly 85% of global smartphone operating profits while holding less than 20% market share in unit sales.
The New Operating System
We need to stop talking about "building brands" and start talking about:
Market Identity Engineering: Systematic design of how a company’s business is recognized and valued
Commercial Trust Architecture: The framework that connects identity to purchase behavior
Commercial Identity Optimization: Continuous improvement of market position and preference
This isn't just repackaging – it's rethinking how Marketers position our most valuable work.
From Art to Engineering
The old model of branding was built on creative intuition. The new model is built on systematic design and measurable outcomes. When we engineer market identity, we're:
Architecting purchase decisions
Programming customer preference
Optimizing commercial recognition
Building revenue systems
Each of these is measurable, trackable, and directly tied to business outcomes.
The Proof is in the Purchase
Look at Lululemon. Their systematic approach to market identity helps them maintain gross margins above 55% - far exceeding industry averages. They've built a recognition architecture that supports premium pricing while maintaining customer loyalty.
Or look at Figma, whose clear market identity and category leadership helped drive their $20 billion acquisition offer from Adobe. They didn't just build a "brand" - they engineered a market position that made them the default choice for modern design teams.
Traditional Branding Elements Reframed
Logo Design → "Revenue Recognition Symbols"
Visual Identity → "Purchase Cue System"
Brand Voice → "Conversion Communication Architecture"
Brand Guidelines → "Market Performance Standards"
Measurement Terminology
Brand Awareness → "Purchase Readiness Index"
Brand Loyalty → "Revenue Retention Architecture"
Brand Equity → "Commercial Value Framework"
Brand Positioning → "Market Advantage Design"
Making the Shift
Here's what happens when we shift from "branding" to "Market Identity Engineering":
Budgets get approved faster
Projects are evaluated on business impact
Success is measured in revenue, not awareness
Remember: The most powerful technology often disappears into the background, becoming invisible infrastructure that drives everything. It's time for "branding" to do the same. We're not killing branding – we're giving it an upgrade it desperately needs.
The future belongs to those who can translate creative impact into business results. The terminology of branding is dead. Long live Market Identity Engineering.