Leave the cow. Take the brand.
Originally a brand was a burnt mark that was seared into packages and livestock to signify ownership. A brand was a mark of ownership belonging to a specific person or organization. Eventually Marketers realized they could create a specific perception in a customers mind regarding the qualities and attributes of each brand name. They took to calling this perception “the brand.” Now gone are the days when branding meant putting and iron in a fire near a nervous cow, but the meaning of branding is still the same, to identify and gain recognition.
Today branding is how we differentiate between similar companies and choose a product. We look at the brand, see what that brand stands for and make the decision on whether or not we want to buy it. Because of this, brands have become all important in todays marketing age.
Creating a brand is about controlling the image of a company and its perception by the public. To build a brand we look at the strengths and weaknesses of a company and decide where they want to be positioned. Harley Davidson is freedom, Little Creasers is ready now, Allstate is trustworthy and Marhar is quality. A good brand makes it clear what it has to offer.
To see how this works in practice look at Coke one of the most recognized brands in the world. You see that name and you know what it is and what it’s selling. But a lot goes into creating that recognition. It’s a combination of unique design and consistent messaging. When Coke started in 1892 there were hundreds of competing soft drinks in the market. Coke was able to separate itself by self-promoting like crazy, with a combination of merchandising and coupons they pulled themselves ahead of the pack and become a distinguished brand. When television and other traditional media became widespread Coke and other brands used them too, making them a platform to sell themselves to the public.
But Branding isn’t just about tactics. All the things that go into identifying a company are part of the brand. The logo, tagline, color pallet, font and tone are all part of creating the brand. These things are important for a brand and need to be constantly monitored. ISIS was a perfectly acceptable brand name until an extremist group adopted it. After the group gained notoriety there was a mad dash to change names and avoid association. If a brand is not well maintained customer perceptions can be a headache for brand managers. Organic food retailer Whole Foods has been struggling for years to shed the nickname “Whole Paycheck,” which captures public perceptions of what it costs to shop in the store.
A good brand identity is the difference between keeping and losing consumers after a mistake. Like New Coke. And it all depends on the quality of the brand and market research it’s built on. If you don’t spend time doing high-quality research, you’ll never find that logo, idea or image of a specific product or service that consumers connect with.
Advertisers work on branding not only to build brand recognition, but also to build good reputations and a set of standards to which the company should strive to maintain or surpass. Modern Branding is an important part of the modern economy, it allows companies to build their reputations as well as expand beyond the original product and service with a unique identity, no hot iron required.
