This question summarizes what branding really is
The reason why we think branding is such a hard concept to explain is that it is fundamentally to do with emotion. Feelings, of course, are intangible and impossible to quantify.
The simplest way to think about branding is that your brand is your business’s personality. And the logo, content and colors are all physical ways of representing and conveying your personality to others.
It’s similar to how people often use fashion to convey their personality.
The advantage with business branding is that you can control your business’s personality. And you can use your logo, your content etc to ensure that your readers get a clear sense of exactly what that personality is.
For example:
Starbucks
What do you think of it?
Now, some of you may have positive feelings, when you think about Starbucks’ brand. Lovely ambiance, one of a kind beverages, etc
Some of you may have negative feelings, that it is over priced and a waste of money.
But, you all knew who we were talking about and, in one way or another, the thought of beverages popped into your mind. If you thought about it a little more, the associations will probably lead you to thinking about luxury lifestyles as well. A group of well dressed professionals with their Starbucks’ beverage.
Whilst Starbucks can not control how you react to their brand message, they have made sure that their brand is associated with luxury and wealth. And you don’t think that only because of their logo, right?
It’s because they have crafted their whole identity, their adverts, their models, their photograph locations and their products in order that you continue to constantly associate that brand with luxury. It is not one single element but several elements, all put together and repeated across every aspect of their business to build the whole picture.
“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room” Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon.
