B is for brand

"Brand" is potentially one of the most widely used terms in marketing right now. But what do people mean when they use it and how can business owners and designers make sure they're talking about the same thing when they use the "b" word?

Not so long ago, "brand" was a little word. Everyone seemed to know it related purely to consumer goods; mainly, the kind that sat side by side on supermarket shelves or you ate for breakfast.

Now, more and more businesses recognise the value of having a brand, and look to build their own with a fervent passion involving all levels of their management team. Within that process however, sometimes it's meaning gets lost.

There's a real danger of confusion – depending on who's talking, "brand" can mean a physical entity: either a name, a logo, a colour scheme, a corporate identity, a product, a statement, or truer to its real meaning: it can be an implied promise of the quality people have come to expect from a company and the associations that their products form in their minds.

Positive perceptions and experiences of a brand can enable companies to command a higher price point than those of their competitors. The reputation, demand, value and equity of their brand is thus increased as they continue to deliver on their promise over the longer term.

Technology and changes to the way we communicate with each other affects the perception of brands with customers wishing to interact and influence each other’s interpretation of the brands proposition. Many businesses fear the scary prospect of losing control of their brand through openness of social media channels.

Looking forward we are certain to see a new set of buzzwords that describe more specific brand issues, once the vagueness of blanket "branding" starts to get in the way. In the meantime, we should all be challenging each other: exactly what do we mean when we say “brand”?