My pick for Brand of the decade is... Whole Foods. I didn't choose them just because within the last decade I've developed food allergies, rather I felt they've excelled at three of my seven branding principles.

1. Distinct- They were the first to enter the national market as a food retailer of "natural" and organic products, including produce, seafood, grocery, meat and poultry, bakery, prepared foods and catering, beer, wine, cheese, whole body, floral, pet products, and household products. Even though others have tried, they own this category.

2. Authentic- They provide not only quality, "minimally processed foods", but also an entire experience from walking in the doors to walking out. The bags, the people, the hot bar all add up to make one consistent perception.

3. Courage- From wiki, "In 1978, twenty-five-year-old college dropout John Mackey and Rene Lawson, his twenty-one year old girlfriend, borrowed $45,000 from family and friends to open a small natural foods store in Austin, Texas. When the couple was evicted from their apartment for storing food products in it, they decided to live at the store. Because it was zoned for commercial use, there was no shower stall, so they bathed using a water hose attached to their dishwasher." I love this story. John Mackey, still CEO, risked everything to make his dream come alive.

Whole Foods will always be known as one of the great supermarket innovators and its brand remains a differentiator, but the road ahead will be difficult for the shop, even when the domestic economy recovers.

Not to mention, Have you ever had a WFs Filet Mignon? I hope so because it is like an celebration of refined manliness.

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