Yes, this is a manifesto.

A declaration of what’s wrong with the current state of branding. A platform of beliefs. But not anti-social. Not anti-marketing. Certainly not anti-agency — or we wouldn’t be putting this out there. Even though it’s a bit daring for us do to it. This manifesto is totally pro-marketer. You might even consider it revolutionary — especially if you’ve worked with brand consulting companies or ad agencies that don’t subscribe to these seven, simply stated beliefs. Why seven — not five or ten? Because in numerology, seven is the number that signifies completion. The end of something good. So start something good for you and your brand now. Consider the following seven beliefs to do what this movement should inspire you to do — Take control of your brand and rule your market.

I believe that I’m more than a marketer.

Sure, your market is that place where your brand is sold and bought. And when you’re managing all the details behind that transaction — segmenting your customers, pricing, distribution, promotion — you’re being a marketer. But the place in which you establish your brand is really more of a landscape than a market. More sensitive to changes in the environment. To fluctuations in the economic climate. To human activity. It’s your brand. Your brand is the view your customers and your prospects see as they weigh all their options for purchase or their decision to engage in some other way with your brand. So when you’re establishing how you want your brand to be perceived in that landscape and continually making sure your brand stands out in the field of other alternatives, you’re much more than a marketer.

More than a brand manager. You’re a brand revolutionary.