What is a Brand?

We all come into contact with brands every day, we value brands and the part they play in our lives, sometimes without even knowing it.

We build up a range of brands we rely on and trust as we go through life, some come and go and some stay for the duration.

But what is a brand, how is it defined and what are the cornerstones of a good brand? Here in our latest insight

” A Brand is a promise. A good Brand is a promise kept. “

What is the definition of a Brand?

There are many variations of a brands definition, here are just a few:

The Dictionary of Brand defines brand as: ‘A person’s perception of a product, service, experience, or organisation.’

The Economic Times describes a brand as: ‘A brand is a name given to a product and/or service such that it takes on an identity by itself.’

Wikipedia describes a brand as: ‘A name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.’

All slightly different definitions, but all just as valid, no matter what variation you think is more accurate one thing is common in all of them and that is just how important a good brand is to whoever comes in contact with it.

Building blocks of a good Brand

Branding is a way of identifying your business. It is how your customers recognise and experience your business. A strong brand is more than just a logo, it’s reflected in everything from your customer service style, staff uniforms, business cards and premises to your marketing materials and advertising.

Branding also includes areas such as the business culture, ethics and vision. It extends to the behaviour, tone of language and communication.

Some of the key building blocks that should be thought of when either defining a new brand or refining an existing one are:

• Brand Identity – how people recognise your company.
• Brand Image – what people expect from your brand.
• Brand Positioning – How your brand is positioned in the marketplace.
• Brand Personality – What emotion does your brand exude.
• Brand Equity – What is the value of your brand to the people that interact with it.
• Brand Experience – What does a person ‘feel’ when they interact with your brand.
• Brand Differentiation – What is your USP, what makes your brand different?
• Brand Communication – The methods that you choose to shout about your brand.
• Brand Gap – The gap between what you brand promises and what it delivers.
• Brand Extension – This is the exploratory part of your brand, pushing boundaries.

Benefits of a robust Brand

An effective brand covers many key areas of a business that become the essential framework upon which to build positive steps and ultimately achieve the perfect customer experience.

If a brand achieves a flawless experience, then customers will not only come back to use those services again, but they will spread the word, which in turn, will perpetually move the company to a state of authority, stability and industry dominance.

Take a look at another one of our most popular insights on ‘Why Branding is so important for your Business’.

Is your own Brand fit for purpose?

We have an award-winning creative team that would love to have a chat with you about your own business brand, so why not get in touch?

We can also offer brand audits that allow you to get a totally impartial take on whether your own brand is fit for purpose and whether it exudes the sort of value you want it to.

So, if you’d like one of our creative team to have a chat with you about your own brand or provide a brand audit on your company then please do get in touch with us at hello@boostbery.com or call us on 01273 582 222.