Mattering comes in proportion to value to the consumer

Here’s a statement that pretty much sums up the foundation of our life’s work to help build brands and businesses:

Relevance and meaning come in many shapes, colors and sizes. Here are a few stellar examples.

Brands that help convey a lifestyle:

Mercedes-Benz and BMW
Toyota Prius and Honda FCX Clarity

Brands that mirror a cook’s passion:

Calphalon and Viking
Whole Foods Market and Neiman Ranch

Brands that deliver a higher purpose:

Seventh Generation and Chipotle Mexican Grill
Aveda and Burt’s Bees

Brands that help facilitate social experiences:

Red Bull and Corona
Starbucks “third place” and Twitter

Brands that evoke the intersection of design, style and substance:

Apple and Method
W Hotels and Herman Miller

Brands that ignite devotion:

NASCAR and the Chicago Cubs
Susan G. Komen and Red Dress

Brands that enable adventure:

Patagonia and The North Face
Harley-Davidson and Trek

Brands that drip with prestige:

Harry Winston and Cartier
Hermes and Louis Vuitton

Brands that embrace health and wellbeing:

Canyon Ranch and Weight Watchers
Johnson & Johnson and iVillage

Brands that “represent” for individuality and non-conformity:

The Hundreds and Barking Guns
Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) and Diesel

Brands that help others express their fashionable ways:

Ralph Lauren and Robert Graham
Stella McCartney and Prada

Brands that breathe community:

Ning and Facebook
Squidoo and YouTube

What’s important here is the relevance each of these brands by virtue of their value to an engaged and interested audience. Many more brands look to achieve this kind of traction, which ultimately falls back to their relevance.

Any additions to our starter list above?