Last Updated on: 4th October 2024, 06:21 am
Tony Lewis, an academic-turned-entrepreneur with a background in mathematics and physics, often referred to as the “Isaac Newton” of branding, is set to launch his first book, Brand Momentum, at the Festival of Marketing in London tomorrow.
Drawing on Lewis’ extensive experience in branding, market research, and his role as CEO of Vision One, the book introduces a new branding framework. Brand Momentum combines case studies, decades of expertise, and even principles from physics to reveal the secrets behind building brand momentum.
This engaging yet research-driven book introduces the Brand Velocity Score (BVS), a unique metric designed to measure whether a brand is thriving or simply surviving. The BVS not only captures the current perception of a brand but also provides predictive insights into its future trajectory.
Tony Lewis, who is also the CEO of the market research agency Vision One, will be joining prominent business figures such as Deborah Meaden from Dragon’s Den to officially launch his new book, Brand Momentum: The #1 Growth Metric For Every Boardroom at the 11th Festival of Marketing in London, which has already sold out.
This debut book is set to revolutionise how brand managers, business owners, and marketing directors approach brand growth.
With four decades of industry experience, Tony has contributed to the success of a diverse range of businesses, from start-ups to global giants like Virgin, LEGO, IKEA, and McDonald’s. His career has spanned sectors from French fashion to charities and even political campaigns. As a highly respected market researcher and branding expert, Tony’s work is built upon hundreds of successful brand studies. The Brand Momentum Agency, set to launch in 2025, will continue to build on this philosophy through training and business consultancy services.
Brand Momentum is filled with original, revolutionary concepts, including the Brand Velocity Score, fresh approaches, real-world case studies, and transformative insights that promise to change the way businesses understand brand momentum and growth.
Quick fire Q&A with Tony Lewis:
(For more Q&A content, articles, review copy and interview requests please contact info@literallypr.com):
Q. What factors determine whether a brand will be successful or not?
A. Tony Lewis: There are several factors that define success for a brand:
- Brand Building. Success starts with establishing a strong reputation by creating meaning and understanding that people value and connect with. Well-built brands resonate deeply with their audience.
- Value Creation. A successful brand generates consumer value and sufficient profit, allowing for significant investment into marketing/NPD etc., which will ultimately enable it to grow. Without financial stability, a company and brand aren’t going anywhere. However, strategic brand building can enhance both the value and profitability of the entire organisation.
- Longevity. I believe brands should be long-term focused to achieve greater success. Evidence suggests that those with a sustained, longer-term approach outperform those with short-term goals.
Q. How do these factors change over the lifetime of a brand?
A. Tony Lewis: In the early years, brands need to generate excitement and interest —they need to build momentum! This is something established brands struggle to maintain, as they’re often already well-known and very familiar. Generating excitement and innovation create the impetus to grow. As brands mature, they should focus on creating emotional warmth to build stronger relationships, which help protects them from losing customers to more exciting start-ups. Established brands need to retain their youthfulness and energy for as long as possible. NPD and innovation are great ways to help achieve this.
Q. How did you come to identify Brand Momentum as the key marketing measurement metric for brand growth and sustained success?
A. Tony Lewis: I discovered momentum by chance whilst we were developing our brand tracking at Vision One. There was one metric we now call the Brand Velocity Score (BVS) which looks at the trajectory of a brand and whether it is growing, static or in decline. We discovered that one airline brand, ‘Monarch Airlines’, had an unusually low score — and went into administration some months later. This led me to think if this metric had the potential to predict the future and help determine the fate of a brand. What I later discovered was that there was so much more to it than that… but you’ll need to read the book for more.
