for, to, with

For those of us with brands in front of us on a daily basis, there are three questions we stumble upon regularly in our thoughts and our interaction with consumers and clients alike:

1. What are we trying to do for those brands?
2. What are we trying to do to those brands?
3. What are we trying to do with those brands?

Whoa. One word difference. But a world of difference.

I jotted down this quick list of possible responses as I thought about what different sorts of agencies have to offer a client. Design agencies are more likely to focus on making a brand beautiful, understandable and liked, whereas a media/ad group might be brought in to focus on making a brand profitable, liked or a leader in the category.

But more importantly, I'm pretty sure any communication-type agency should be thinking about the big picture -- each of these elements is simply a cog in an ongoing cycle of success.

I'm pretty sure the best thinking for a brand keeps tabs on all of these elements -- plus others -- as an ongoing reality check.