Successful brands are a paradox: always consistent yet always mutable. One of the best models for that elusive balance is the artisan brand. Artisan brands possess a signature look and feel that seems to be the creation of an individual sensibility yet also permits variations on form and execution within a set of consistent design principles. Think of Pixar’s movies, Kimpton’s Monaco hotels, and Danny Meyer’s Union Square restaurants.
A version of this article appeared in the May 2005 issue of Harvard Business Review.