Introduction to the Rules and the Rules-Based Practices

The plan of this book is to share the Arcature principles and practices that contributed to several brand turnarounds, including McDonald’s. I structured the book around the Six Rules of Revitalization. These are the guiding principles for rejuvenating a brand and creating a brand revitalization mindset. Within each Rule are the practices we followed. Rules are important: They provide the beliefs, commitments, learning, and framework that bring thinking to life. But rules without actions are theory without throughput.

The book’s structure is shown in Figure 0.1. The driver for brand revitalization, as for all brand building is enduring profitable growth. We must have growth—grow or die, some say—but that growth must be both profitable and enduring. This means that we must have more customers who buy or visit more often who are more loyal and are more profitable.