Brand is not what you say you are. Brand is what others say about you. In Perfect Pitch by Jon Steel (which I highly recommend), there’s a great quote from Phillip Khan-Panni…

“…the audience is never listening to what you are saying. They are listening for what it means for them.”
– Phillip Khan-Panni (from “Stand and Deliver,” quoted in “Perfect Pitch,” page 44)

What and why companies are two different types of brands. What companies are simply telling you something. Why companies are having a conversation, helping you understand, and building a relationship. Why companies are letting people know what’s in it for them.

You’re never going to build an amazing brand by doing “what.” You’re going to build an amazing brand by doing “why.”

Looking back over the site, the what vs. why conversation seems to be a recurring theme…
Step Two in Building a Campfire Agency: What vs. Why (29 Aug 2007)
and
Comps? No… concepts. (26 Feb 2008)