Brand strategy for the curious, the committed & the quietly frustrated
Unravelling Ambiguity
by Brian Richards
Branding has always been ambiguous
If you think branding is just marketing, you’re already losing. It isn’t a logo. It isn’t a campaign. It’s psychology, culture, and the oldest form of storytelling; the same force that has built companies, toppled empires, and sparked movements. It unites. It divides. It decides who wins. Distilling over three decades of international experience, Unravelling Ambiguity is a three-volume field guide of stories, insights, and provocations from renowned brand strategist Brian Richards.
This book is for trailblazers, forward-thinkers, and the next generation of business leaders. It’s for strategists, designers, and those with entrepreneurial spirit. It was made to empower those who want to harness brand to share stories, shape identities, and direct the future of their organisations.
What’s in the book?
-
From brand purpose to storytelling to information architecture, Unravelling Ambiguity contains insights across 13 chapters that covers everything that makes a brand compelling. These insights are drawn from experience — in and outside the boardroom — and are supported by case studies that demonstrate principles in practice.
-
Unravelling Ambiguity features one brand as a case study in each chapter. These brands constitute clients Brian has worked with, but also companies from around the world that he admires for their excellence in execution. The brands featured are:
Hilti • Orca • Aesop • Arup • Lego • Gallagher Animal Management • Crocs • Icebreaker • Comité Colbert • Mastercard • Migros • Monocle
-
At the end of each chapter are three provocations designed to prompt critical thinking. How do these insights apply to your organisation and work? What lessons can you learn from the case studies documented in the chapter? Unravelling Ambiguity contains 39 provocations; plenty of food for thought to nourish the health of your brand. When did you last hold the soul of your company to the light?
About the author
Brian Richards has been travelling the globe as an independent brand strategist for over three decades. From Auckland to Abu Dhabi, Singapore to Stockholm, stepping into boardrooms to argue, convincingly, that brand is not a cost but a form of capital. He has navigated industries, cultures, and egos to help leaders realise the potential value of their brands.
Brian founded Richards Partners, an award-winning brand strategy and design agency. Alongside his team and a diverse set of like-minded partners, he has built enduring brands around the world, transforming ‘credible’ into ‘incredible’.
“To know Brian Richards is to know a genuinely creative mind. A mind that understands how to weave brands with purpose, beauty and logic. Let him take you on a journey of enquiry and weave brands with purpose, beauty and logic. Let him take you on a journey of enquiry and provocation that promises to unlock the heart and soul of your business.”
Tim Brown, Chair Emeritus of IDEO and author of Change By Design
“In many ways, Brian’s thinking was a far more potent and everlasting insight into the longevity of a brand – beyond just the noise of its advertising. This book is a masterclass in that unique and considered craft of brand durability.”
Kim Thorp, Former Executive Creative Director and Chairman, Saatachi & Saatchi NZ