What is a brand?

A brand in essence, is the sum total of what a company or product line is PERCEIVED to be. This includes recognizable tangible elements such as names, logos and identities as well as intangibles such as the customer's emotional connection to the brand, perceptions of quality, comfort and customer satisfaction.

What is branding?

Branding is the targeted development of the tangible elements of a brand – namely its identity, or image. This typically involves developing a name, trademark (logo) and appropriate promotional materials that effectively represent the character of your company and products, and resonate with customers to help drive recognition and sales.

How are branding and marketing related?

Branding should never be considered in isolation, in fact branding is often a component of larger marketing plans, or vice versa. Whatever the situation branding should never be considered just a name or a logo. Effective branding is the foundation upon which marketing initiatives such as advertising, packaging, and other communications are based. Executed properly marketing is the natural extension of your branding.

Can a brand be revitalized?

Often companies have existing branding that they have decided is no longer as effective as they would like. In these situations discarding a brand for a completely new identity may not be the best approach. Instead, a brand's image can often be revitalized with updated graphics and marketing while still maintaining existing brand equity.

We've done our branding, do we have a brand?

If it's been done effectively, your branding initiatives have given you an excellent set of tools to help direct the development of your brand. Your brand however, is not only what you create, but what you are perceived to be. Actively managing your branding to achieve the best results is an ongoing marketing challenge, but there is more to it than that... your brand also depends on your ability to deliver upon its promise in terms of product quality and desirability and customer satisfaction.