What is brand

WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? YOUR BRAND IS WHO YOU ARE…TO OTHER PEOPLE.


Brand is more than a company’s name, product name, and logo or trademark. Before fences invoked the good neighbour policy, ranch owners branded their herds to separate them from free-grazing intruders. Unique branding marks were crafted to verify the source of quality and validate the egos of collectors – quality was established before the brand was applied.

Modern branding grew out of the packaged goods industry starting in the 19th century. Advertising giant J. Walter Thompson published a house ad promoting trademark advertising, and the concept of modern branding was set free upon the world.

Early brands such as Ivory Snow, Uncle Ben's, and Kellogg's quickly jumped on the brand wagon by connecting their products with homespun values such as purity, nutrition and farm-fresh goodness. Today, we see brand expressed in wild and creative ways. Today’s brands aimed at youth markets may not espouse wholesome family values, but they do cater to a hard-to-reach group of rawhide-tough consumers who express themselves through the brands they embrace.

Branding has evolved into a dynamic business process used by companies of every persuasion to stake a strong position and capture the imagination of a market segment.

Today, everything and everyone is a brand. We perceive the world in signs and symbols. When people say your name, they associate you with an image that’s based on your reputation. When people see your company name on a business card or come across your ad in the Yellow Pages, they immediately experience a range of emotions and expectations about you and your business.

Consider one of today’s leading brands, ‘Apple Computer’. Just thinking about this brand creates a mental picture of their actual products, whether it’s a sleek and stylish computer, an iPod, or an iPhone – these thoughts bring with them the feelings you associate with the Apple line of products, and the feelings you connect with the culture that Apple has built up over the years.

In fact, for many customers, no other stimulus is needed to decide the value being offered. Their minds are made up! That’s called “mind share” and it’s one of the most powerful concepts in business today. At the end of the day, your customers may not remember what you said or did, but they will definitely remember how you made them feel. And they will tell their friends!


The best run companies in the world are built on powerful brands — Nike, Coke, Amex, Apple et al. These companies don’t make and sell packaged products, they deliver brand experiences that are felt, touched, and trusted by customers and by bullish investors who run Wall Street.

Brand is the sum total of a company’s vision, mission, culture, and quality. It defines and promotes core strengths — what a company is good at and what its people believe in as a business philosophy. A strong and focused brand helps a company deliver its messages clearly, build credibility in the marketplace, connect to prospects emotionally, motivate buyers, and bolster customer loyalty.

Branded companies inspire creativity and spark passion in all they touch — employees, customers, partners, and shareholders. Sunkist products embody the energizing enjoyment of the fresh citrus sensation. Coke promises refreshment and good times. American Express delivers a promise of status, while the Lexus brand imparts feelings of luxury.

Successful branding evolves from a clear sense of purpose and identity. Because it’s ultimately about people (not products or companies), brand must accurately reflect the collective values of the people who work to deliver the brand promise. Just as great advertising can’t save a bad product, all the clever branding in the world is a waste of time and money if a company doesn’t live up its brand values and promise.

Brand values can’t be foisted on the public. Fail to deliver the goods and you will get caught! Just ask the good folks at Enron. At the end of the day, customers may forget what you said and did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

Not sure what people feel about your company? Getting by one day at a time with no plan in place to tell your brand story or engage with your publics on a meaningful level? It’s time to manage your brand. Not only will it put your company destiny into your own hands, it will salvage it from your competitors who are more than happy to invade your range and rustle your customers away in droves.

Click here to learn more about the value of a great brand.


Ready to take control of your brand? Contact us at 780-428-0411 or click here.