Because I like to bring politics into EVERYTHING, I want to give a little example of how brands matter and illustrate it by putting a big dollop of political chat on everything.
I'm one of the remoaning liberal elite, living in my impenetrable bubble and dealing in silly things like facts and evidence. So, Theresa May ain't my bae. But what she has done, in the face of the most challenging post-war period ever, is somehow position herself as a safe pair of hands.
EVEN though she's not doing a good job; she's actually doing a pretty poor one so far. She's lurching to the right and giving bizarre little Eurosceptic fanatics like John Redwood and Bill Cash their dream Brexit ticket and Farage even more reasons to have a pint in his hand and a big grin. All for the sake of party unity, instead of hmmm I don't know...THE ECONOMY?
Anyway there's something about Theresa May that communicates thoughtfulness, level-headedness and a sensible approach - when her Brexit/Trump actions are far from it. Her brand appears strong at the moment, so she can take the UK in ludicrous directions without much flack, because her brand is trusted by the public.
So she can also take Ed Miliband's (Milibae) 2015 manifesto policies, nab what she likes and present them as Tory ideas - without being branded a mad, bad leftie nutter. Her brand is allowing her to do this.
Now over on the other side, we've got old Jezza Corbyn. Now, the less said about him the better, but he completely epitomises the damage a bad brand can do.
First impressions are so important in politics and Corbyn has done little in his tenure to turn his brand around. Apart from the disastrously similar 'Corbyn re-brand' since January, where nothing appears to have changed at all.
Staunch Labour voters can't stomach him, let alone floating voters. His brand is bad - his communications team are abysmal and Labour are tanking in the polls. Labour is teetering on the edge of something awful and with Corbyn at the steering wheel, the future doesn't look pretty.
People made up their mind about Corbyn early on and since that there's been a catalogue of errors and gaffes to harden their views. When Corbyn suggests similar policies to Miliband's 2015 effort, his brand makes him look like a dogged socialist, stuck in the 1980s.
Labour are being held back by brand Corbyn - time for a complete re-invention.
Basically, your brand matters and you're held back if it's not effective. Your stories won't resonate with people and your messages are lost when your brand is weak.