status of a brand should be determined before attempting to develop it into an icon brand. there are two types of brands, as they possess either rational or emotional associations. emotional brands include icon brands and cult brands. big and emotional brands such as nike are icon brands whereas cult brands are the smaller emotional brands. for example, somebody's favorite restaurant is a cult brand for him. on the other hand, rational brands are mass brands and niche brands. large and rational brands such as toyota are named as mass brands. a niche brand is the brand, which can be associated with tangible assets or values by a specific group. the bank of new york can be regarded as an example for this type.