What is a Brand, Anyway?
Your brand is not your logo
If you perform a quick google search for this question and you will find that there are many different opinions about the definition of “brand“. Many experts believe a brand is a combination of everything a company or service says and does — and the way they say it — while other experts believe a brand is simply what the audience believes about the company. I believe that both ideas have merit.
Personally, I believe that a brand is a promise and a story — combining a set of values, beliefs, value proposition, identity, behavior and personality to create a narrative. I also believe that the audiences perceptions, emotions and experiences of the company highly impacts that brand’s story.
The word “brand” gets thrown around pretty loosely these days — Often being used to describe marketing efforts or packaging. Let’s create some clarity on this topic before we go any further. A brand is not a logo, a product, a company, a service, a marketing campaign, design, package art, colors, typography, a slogan— the list could go on and on. While these certainly are important elements of a brand, a brand is born from a much more foundational place.
“Your brand is what others say about you when you’re not in the room.”
A brand is the sum of a wide array of offerings, attributes, actions and perceptions
How to get started
YOUR FIRST STEP : Because your brand is most commonly defined by the outside perceptions and experiences about your product or service, it is on you to define how you want your audience or customers to feel about your brand. Identify the feelings and perceptions you desire to portray, and begin to work those concepts into every brand and marketing touchpoint.
