In the course of my career I’ve found that some people value conceptual frameworks and know how to use them to direct both their thinking and their practice.

Others, however, have no use for conceptual frameworks, and value only momentary sparks of inspiration which arise in the moment and which are realized in a concrete idea for something which can be done — or they vanish in a tiny puff of ions. (If don’t mind being scorned by people with scientific scruples, you can call this a radically “right brained” culture.)

There are also many professionals who have limited use for conceptual frameworks and who do not experience the full infectious effects of inspiration, and who (consequently?) think primarily in terms of factual combinations (sometimes fastidiously glued together logically, or found embedded together in concrete chunks of experience), and who tend to work algorithmically according to explicit plans, composed of sequenced techniques. (This would be a radically “left brained” culture.)

Here’s the thing to remember: all of these cognitive styles ultimately converge on any successful endeavor. The question is one of sequence. Which lead and which follow? This will practically determine the way an organization works and the type of brand relationship it offers its employees and customers.

To be frankly partial, my belief is that the evolution of brand has moved it from a stage where “left-brained” organizations hire “right-brained” organizations to clothe their carefully constructed offerings in sparkling campaigns that change customer perceptions, to a stage where an organization itself is designed to holistically produce conceptual coherence between product, service, message and presentation, because its entire activity system is guided by a conceptual framework, which does not spell out all the details of how an organization runs, but rather provides generative insights which compel details to unfold in organic compatibility with its surroundings.

But obviously, I’m a conceptual framework guy, so decide for yourself.