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F5-03·F5 — Brand Strategy

Keller's CBBE Pyramid: Building Brands Step by Step

The productive tension

Rationalandemotional brand building

The synthesis

Keller's pyramid has two parallel paths: rational (performance, judgments) and emotional (imagery, feelings). Most brand strategies overindex on one. Rational brands dismiss emotion as fluff. Emotional brands neglect functional substance. Strong brands build both paths simultaneously, because resonance — the peak of brand equity — requires consumers to think AND feel.

Learning objectives

  • Explain Keller's four-level CBBE pyramid
  • Distinguish between identity, meaning, response, and resonance
  • Map the rational and emotional pathways to brand resonance
  • Apply the pyramid to brand audit and strategy development
  • Compare Keller's model with Aaker's approach

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