Branding reached its zenith in the dot-com era, when as much as 90 percent of the venture capital raised by start-ups was budgeted simply to establish corporate identity and earn a spot in the public’s awareness. Since then, however, it’s become increasingly clear that companies were approaching things backwards. And so the time has come to adopt a new set of objectives—to move Beyond the Brand.

Marketing expert John Winsor makes a powerful case here that consumers have developed a “brand immune system” that only magnifies the problems involved with branding today. Instead of focusing on branding efforts, he explains, companies must learn to use “bottom-up” tools to co-create new products and marketing strategies with their customers. It’s about getting out in the streets and spending time with the right customers in their worlds, creating essential foundations for breakthrough innovation.