And more importantly, do we really need it? Is it possible to be too sophisticated?
Will consumers 'get' you?
The complexity of this emotive appeal depends entirely on the market a brand is operating in. There's no real 'one-size-fits-all' solution to branding across borders. In less-developed markets, branding can be relatively straightforward. The brand is very much still simply a guarantee of product quality - a source of confidence.
For example, in Thailand, the parent brand (such as Unilever) features much more prominently than it would, say, in the UK. Quality seals are still very important. In many categories, international brands still stand out on the basis of more innovative or eye-catching packaging. Hong Kong is different again. It is cluttered, fast-changing and highly competitive.
There's not a huge lifestyle spectrum. Brands tend to either jostle for space or appeal to a highly-developed sense of luxury and status. In the case of the former, brands are used more as a reference; with consumers still looking for functionality and value. Creating a buzz is perhaps more important than long-term relationships.
Around the region, this buzz is often created via celebrity endorsement.
This has been very successful as it fits many markets' expectations of brands. In Southeast Asia, even engine oil has benefited from David Beckham in the adverts - but more complicated brand imagery and reasons to believe are not necessarily something consumers need at the moment.
Nevertheless, it is assumed that, in time, brands in Asia will turn more to image and lifestyle to differentiate. Even then, expression of image will vary greatly across borders; for example, subtle self-expression in Thailand may contrast with glitzy self-confidence in the Philippines.
As markets become more image-driven, the potential trap is that there are only so many emotions and feelings to go around. Before long, it seems everything from toothpaste to beer to banks are promising freedom or independence. Consumers can then become cynical about brands.
Increasingly, real innovation and physical design starts to take precedence.
Total brand experience rules over simple brand image. Look at the Apple iPod - a combination of image, design and functionality - and now with iTunes expanding the experience even further. Increasingly, these consumers will own the brands more than brand managers. Fragmentation, personalisation, more active consumption will continue. Brands will interact rather than broadcast an image. They will become communities rather than just packaging and glossy ads.
As David Ogilvy once said, any damn fool can put on a deal, but it takes a genius, faith and perseverance to create a brand. This has never been more true.