Defining Brand

What is a brand?

A brand is much more than just a logo or tagline. It is the perception that consumers have of a company or product. According to the Harvard Business Review, a strong brand can set a company apart from its competitors and create a loyal customer base.

In today's crowded and competitive market, developing a strong brand is crucial for businesses. It helps to establish a unique identity and build trust with consumers. A strong brand also has the ability to drive sales and increase customer loyalty.

In a recent article published in the Journal of Marketing, authors Keller and Lehmann define a brand as "a customer-based concept that encompasses a brand's functional attributes, emotional benefits, and self-expressive benefits." In other words, a brand is the sum of all the experiences and emotions that a customer has with a company or product.

The Journal of Brand Management, another trade magazine, also talks about how important emotional connections are in branding. In a recent article, authors Fournier and Lee discuss the concept of "brand love," which is the emotional attachment that consumers have to a brand. They argue that this emotional connection is crucial for building a strong brand and driving customer loyalty.

How do the experts in business and management define a brand?

“Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business." - Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple

"Your brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room." - Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon

"A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is - it is what consumers tell each other it is." - Scott Cook, co-founder of Intuit

"A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another. Branding is not just a logo or a tagline. It's the emotional and psychological relationship between a company and its customers." - Seth Godin, author and entrepreneur

"A brand is a promise. And the biggest part of that promise is consistency." - Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks.

"Branding is the process of creating a unique name and image for a product in the consumers' mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme." -Philip Kotler, marketing professor and author

"Branding is not just about getting your target market to choose you over the competition, but it is about getting your prospects to see you as the only one that provides a solution to their problem." - David B. Wolfe, American marketing consultant and author

"Branding is the process of creating a relationship or connection between a company's product and emotional perception of the customer." - Simon Sinek, British-American author and motivational speaker

"Your brand is not what you say it is, it's what Google says it is." - Chris Anderson, Founder of Business 2.0 and CEO of TED

Brand Identity: Not Just Visual, But Verbal

One aspect of a brand is its identity, which includes elements such as fonts and colors used in marketing materials. These elements should be consistent across all platforms, including social media, to create a cohesive brand image.

A successful branding effort goes beyond just creating a visually appealing logo. It also involves defining the brand's personality and core values, conducting market research to understand the target market, and creating a mission statement and value proposition that resonates with potential customers.

Coca-Cola is a prime example of a company with a strong brand identity. From its iconic red and white color scheme to its well-known tagline "Open Happiness," Coca-Cola has consistently executed its branding efforts across all touchpoints, from packaging to advertising to customer experience. This is where brand strategy comes in.

Brand Strategy

A brand strategy involves understanding the target audience and creating a plan to effectively reach and engage them. Nike, for example, has a clear target audience of athletes and uses marketing campaigns and partnerships to connect with them.

In today's digital world, brand management and marketing efforts must also consider the role of technology and digital platforms. This includes creating brand guidelines and templates for digital marketing efforts, as well as maintaining a consistent brand voice across all online platforms.

For small businesses and startups, establishing a strong brand can be crucial for attracting new customers and differentiating from competitors. We recommend conducting market research, defining a clear brand positioning and value proposition, and creating a marketing strategy that aligns with the company's brand values.

Visual Brand Design: More than a Logo

Visual brand design and development involves creating a cohesive and consistent visual identity for a brand. This involves the use of various elements such as color, typography, photography, illustration, and iconography.

Color is a crucial element in visual brand design, as it can evoke certain emotions and associations in the viewer. It is important to carefully select a color palette that aligns with the brand's values and goals. Typography, or the use of fonts, also plays a role in establishing a brand's voice and tone. Photography and illustration can be used to visually represent the brand and its products, while iconography can be used to create easily recognizable symbols for the brand. All of these elements work together to create a strong and cohesive visual brand.

The Importance of Typography in Visual Brand Development

Typography plays a crucial role in branding as it helps to create a visual identity for a brand. Through the use of specific fonts and design elements, typography can help to convey a brand's personality and message to its audience. For example, a playful and energetic brand may use a whimsical font with bold colors, while a more serious and professional brand may opt for a clean and elegant font in muted tones.

In addition to conveying a brand's personality, typography can also help to establish brand consistency. By using the same font and design elements across all branding materials, a brand can create a cohesive and recognizable visual identity. This consistency helps to build trust and recognition with consumers, ultimately leading to increased brand loyalty and recognition.

Verbal Brand Design: More than Taglines

Verbal brand design and development focuses on creating a unique and memorable brand identity through language and messaging. This process involves carefully crafting the language used to describe a brand, its products, and its values, in order to accurately reflect the brand's essence and differentiate it from competitors.

The development of a strong verbal brand identity is crucial for effective communication with customers and building a loyal customer base. This involves creating a consistent brand voice and tone, as well as developing key messages and messaging strategies that align with the brand's overall positioning and goals. Verbal brand design and development can also include the creation of taglines and slogans, as well as the development of language guidelines and messaging frameworks to ensure consistency across all communication channels.

Rebranding

Rebranding, or updating a company's brand image, can also be a valuable tool for adapting to changing market conditions and evolving customer preferences. This can include updating the brand name, logo, tagline, or other elements of the brand identity.  For a complete guide to rebranding visit our post here.

In conclusion, a brand is a perception that consumers have of a company or product. A brand is the sum of all the experiences and interactions a customer has with a company, encompassing both the functional attributes and emotional benefits that a customer experiences. It is essential for a company to have a strong brand identity, clear brand strategy and values, and effective branding efforts to stand out in the market and build brand equity.

At Tenth Mountain are here to assist you with your brand. Working with over a hundred brands has equipped us with the knowledge, skills and craft to help you reach your brand reach its full potential, from strategy to development to execution to growth.

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Sources:

• Keller, K. L., & Lehmann, D. R. (2006). Brands and branding: Research findings and future priorities. Journal of Marketing, 70(3), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.70.3.1
• Fournier, S., & Lee, L. (2009). Getting brand communities right. Journal of Brand Management, 16(4), 252-268. https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2008.45
• Harvard Business Review. (n.d.). What is a brand? https://hbr.org/2017/08/what-is-a-brand

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