Brands are everything. But what are they really?

Debbie Rowles
Nov 4 · 3 min read

Brands have the power:

To make humans laugh| To make humans cry
To bring humans together | To keep humans apart
To make humans sell things | To make humans buy things

To start movements | To stop movements
To build nations | To destroy nations
To harm the world | To save the world

What brands are not & I’m sure you’ve heard it all

  • A brand is not a logo
  • A brand is not a trademark
  • A brand is not a product
  • A brand is definitely not marketing
  • A brand is most definitely not advertising

So what is a brand?

Let’s start here — a quick exercise for you to do — complete the dots.

I AM A BRAND

I truly believe …
I value …
People love me because …
People may not like me because …
People can count on me to …
I make people feel …
I contribute to my team, my community by …

Now replace the “I” with your business or brand.
Do you get the idea?

Why the confusion?

Understandably people are confused because if you Google “what is a brand” this is what you get.

A brand is a type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name.

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

Which is exactly what we said it isn’t.

The new definition for a “brand”

In the true spirit of Wabi Sabi — perfect imperfection — there is no flawless definition for a brand.We believe it lies somewhere in the combination of these definitions.

Purpose or Why: the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.

Values: principles or standards of behaviour; one’s judgement of what is important in life.

Experience: practical contact with and observation of facts or events.

Connection: a relationship in which a person or thing is linked or associated with something else.

Belief: an acceptance that something exists or is true

Your brand is ultimately what humans believe you are.

So I had some fun putting together a new definition based on the above key “brand” words.

Here you go in all its imperfection:

Image courtesy of Thinkhumanbeing.com

WHAT IS A BRAND (the complex version): An organisation, product or service only becomes a brand when it owns a space in someone's mind.The person first identifies with the organisation, product or services' purpose and values & then, over time, through consistent experiences they will form a connection, associative memories & ultimately a belief that defines what the brand means to them.

WHAT IS A BRAND: (the simple version) A brand is the space someone holds in their mind for what your organisation, product or service means to them.

It’s a messy business — the path to discovering your brand purpose and a long journey of applying consistency in communication & dedication to that purpose to build & hold a space in your consumers’ minds.

Let us know what you think.

About ThinkHumanBeing:
We believe the magic-makers can change the world through the power of human-centred, purpose-led strategy & brands. Our job is to help them do just that.

To learn more or get in touch, visit thinkhumanbeing.com or follow us Facebook or Instagram

Think Human Being

Be a magic-maker. Change the world through the power of human-centred, purpose-led strategy & brands

Debbie Rowles

Written by

Solutionist | Thinker | Starts with Why activist | Brand purpose addict | Curator | Strategist | Works consciously | Treads lightly

Think Human Being

Be a magic-maker. Change the world through the power of human-centred, purpose-led strategy & brands

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