Most explanations of Brand Equity focus on awareness, recognition, and familiarity. Those factors matter, but I believe they are downstream effects of something deeper. I believe that brands build equity the same way humans build reputation: by repeatedly demonstrating congruency between internal identity and the external expression of that identity, over time.

Think of a brand as a skilled mixed martial artist, and marketing as the various disciplines, skills and techniques the fighter uses to win the fight. Just like a business, every fighter has a unique blend of traits and characteristics that combine to make the fighter who that fighter is. Things like the fighter's height, speed, strength, agility, flexibility, endurance, temperament, mental toughness and mindset are all things that contribute to the fighter’s brand.