What makes a brand iconic?

Creative Bloq's article on iconic brands caused a lot of discussion and controversy, not least from readers questioning the choices in the list of the 'Top 20' iconic brands. Which raises the question: what makes a brand truly 'iconic' anyway?

People have described three of my brands as 'iconic'. The first is the online and phone banking service First Direct, where I was founding CEO. The second is Mercury Communications where, as incoming CEO in 1991, I moved the company and the brand massively into the consumer market which it had previously neglected. And the third is the online banking service Egg where, as at First Direct, I was the founding CEO. These days, I mentor entrepreneurs who wish to create iconic brands and businesses.

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All things Creative Bloq

The Creative Bloq team is made up of a group of design fans, and has changed and evolved since Creative Bloq began back in 2012. The current website team consists of eight full-time members of staff: Editor Georgia Coggan, Deputy Editor Rosie Hilder, Ecommerce Editor Beren Neale, Senior News Editor Daniel Piper, Editor, Digital Art and 3D Ian Dean, Tech Reviews Editor Erlingur Einarsson, Ecommerce Writer Beth Nicholls and Staff Writer Natalie Fear, as well as a roster of freelancers from around the world. The ImagineFX magazine team also pitch in, ensuring that content from leading digital art publication ImagineFX is represented on Creative Bloq.