It takes as much time to build a brand as it takes a person to build a reputation. The difficulty is not as much to perfect a strategy as to be focused, differentiated, and consistent everywhere, every time. Will it take one, five, ten or over twenty years? That essentially depends on the memory and openness of the brand’s audience.

For instance, it took about 15 years for Nike to build one of the strongest global brands, thanks to (1) a focused brand positioning, (2) consistent 360-degree delivery, and (3) its association with All-Star basketball player Michael Jordan. Nike truly distinguished itself in its ability to deliver a consistent message across 360 degrees. Indeed, over a long period of time, Nike consistently delivered its brand message at each contact-point with its customers, from product, to advertising, to distribution, to merchandising, to website.

Fans of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls could enjoy a remarkable consistency between Niketown and Nike’s TV commercials, as the gothic atmosphere depicted on the small screen could also be experienced three-dimensionally by the visitor at the Niketown store on North Michigan Avenue in the Bulls’ hometown.