What is a Brand?
As a group of people that make our living doing the work of branding, we often forget that people don’t always know what exactly a brand is. Well here is a general overview:
By definition (according to WikiPedia), a brand is the “name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s product distinct from those of other sellers”. While this is technically accurate, it essentially describes the visual mark of a product or service only, but this only half the story.
So, What is a Brand?
We believe a brand to be: “The total sum of impressions and beliefs of a product or service in the end-users mind’s eye”. This is somewhat deeper than the literal meaning and brings about the question of whether or not your company truly ‘manages’ your brand. Companies should remind themselves on a regular basis that your brand is born from consumer impressions, and merely influenced by your logo, identity system, and messaging. We can tell people what we want them to believe, but ultimately your audience will make the determination on their own based on the total sum of impressions of your product or service. This can include product quality, customer service interaction, price point and positioning.