Great thinking about the most difficult problems thrives in the grey areas. Once we get past the fact that we’ll never find the black and white, cut and dry solution to whatever great problem lies ahead of us, the more successful we’ll be in solving that problem.

In other words, the light is either on or off, but whether the room is well lit is another question entirely. I think the same principle applies to advertising, marketing and what I’d like to call the Brand Universe.  

I’m going to set some rules for the Brand Universe so I can talk about it: it’s made up of people, places and things. It exists (and is moving) in time and space; and it often expands and contracts. It operates similarly to the world around us.

At the center (it’s not fixed remember) lives the ideal brand-state/consumer-state. Let’s say: My product is ideally the best one of its shape and size and it’s going to make people feel great. Before I even begin to create this product I have to have an idea of what it is.  

Now I need a way to create it and the marketing that goes around it. I rent office space, computers, get in contact with some vendors and hire some marketers too. This is my company and it produces my product.

After some long nights and hard work, the product starts to roll off the line and it turns out that it is really the best of it’s shape and size. I test it out with some prospective customers and they say it makes them feel great.

I start telling people that my product is the best of it’s kind in size and shape and that it makes people feel great. More people buy my product.

That’s the Brand Universe in short. But there’s a problem. This is too general and it assumes too much. Brands don’t operate exactly in the way I illustrated above. For example, what do we do with a multi-national brand that has a wide range of products that already exist? Perhaps their credibility is damaged and their customer no longer trusts that their product is what they claim it to be.

Start at the beginning.

Every brand has a brand vision or promise. At the Marketing 101 level, it’s the fulfillment of that promise that makes a happy and loyal consumer. In Jonathan Salem Baskin’s recent adage.com article, “What If Giving Up Your Brand Really Means Giving Up?” he writes:

If we renewed our commitment to selling based on credibility, authenticity and utility, maybe people would trust what we tell them, respect our corporate reputations, and give us their purchasing loyalty. Maybe if we stopped thinking we can give up responsibility for why they should buy, and start acting like David Ogilvy and sell to them once again, they'd find comfort relying on our communications as well as the subsequent iterations through the social echo chamber. This might unleash the ultimate promise of social and empower people to know, discuss and change the way businesses function, not just blather on about marketing blather.

He’s describing brand transparency. A brand has to take responsibility for it’s product – the “why they should buy” before it starts deciding how to communicate with it’s customers.

In the end, how you’re communicating with your customers isn’t going to amount to a hill of cannellini beans if what you're saying can’t be trusted. Go back to the Brand Universe. Get your message right, make sure everyone in your company is on board, ensure that your product matches what you’re saying; and then say it.

Eventually that outer ring won’t read “potential customers” - it’ll say “customers” and your customers will be your advocates.