Kapferer Brand Identity Prism
Six facets of brand identity — external and internal.
Jean-Noël Kapferer breaks brand identity into a prism of 6 facets along two axes. Horizontal: externalization (visible — Physique, Relationship, Reflection) vs. internalization (hidden — Personality, Culture, Self-image). Vertical: picture of sender (how the brand expresses itself — Physique, Personality) → middle (Culture & Relationship) → picture of receiver (who it speaks to — Reflection, Self-image). A complete map where no facet can be skipped.
Deep identity diagnosis of an established brand, rebranding, harmonising a brand across markets, briefing visual identity, or when a brand feels externally inconsistent.
Fill all 6 facets with short, concrete statements. Then test coherence: does Physique match Personality? Does Reflection capture the real Self-image audience? Mismatch between facets is exactly where the brand loses credibility.
Related frameworks
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