I’ve always thought that the question was not “how is my brand doing”? It’s “how is my company doing”? Nice to have a top-10 rated brand by Interbrand, Millward Brown or Brand Finance, but if your stock is sinking, which it might well be, who cares about a brand value ranking?

My colleague and friend Jonathan Knowles, founder of Type 2 Consulting and probably our most cogent thinker on brand and marketing valuation, has been sharing with me some of his own, and others’ research on the link between good brand management and the creation of shareholder value. This is not the same as how-does-your-brand-do-in-the-rankings question (which is good for the ego, but not necessarily the shareholder). This is: what is the real value that your brand is creating, from a financial performance point-of-view. Powerful stuff for marketers who need to speak the language of the CFO and very compelling for CEOs working to bring their boards and executive teams onside with investment in brand – when other needs are competing for dollars.