The Brand You Intend vs. the Brand Buyers See

Why this matters

Every company has two brands: the one they intend and the one their buyers actually experience. The gap between them is where most brand investment is wasted — builders who learn to measure and close this gap spend on brand activities that actually shift perception rather than just expressing identity.

Try it yourself

1. Write down three adjectives you want your brand to be known for. Then read your last 20 customer reviews and underline every adjective used. Count the overlap — that overlap percentage is your perception-identity alignment score.
2. Find a company whose stated values ('innovative,' 'customer-first') differ visibly from their market reputation. Write a paragraph on one specific operational decision that created the gap.
3. Choose one touchpoint in your customer journey (pricing page, onboarding email, support response) and rate how strongly it reinforces your intended brand identity on a scale of 1–10. Rewrite it to score higher.

References

• https://www.amazon.com/Zag-Number-Strategy-High-Performance-Brands/dp/0321426770