Branding —When did it begin and what you need to know about it.
There is a lot of confusion around this subject. But don’t worry, I’m here to clarify it for you and give you a glimpse into the basics of branding. After reading this article, you should be able to tell the difference between a brand and a product. Also, you will be able to articulate why is it important and what branding means.
The word “brand” is being used daily by a big part of us, but do you know what it really meant before?
It all started a long time ago when early men might have marked their cattle with symbols made of paint. Their cave paintings are the proof. Meanwhile, humans realized that fire marking is a more permanent and efficient method. As a result, they replaced the paint with a burning piece of wood. In Ancient Norse language, “brandr” means “to burn”.
The Egyptians used this method to avoid confusion, but also to prevent their cattle from being stolen.
The marking has then adapted for other types of goods. Throughout the Roman Empire, as well as in ancient Greece, a very common practice was to mark ceramic pots. This custom has grown with the need to support widespread commercialization.
There are lots of definitions out there, but what branding really represents?
In simple words, your brand is a promise to your customers.
As everything is in a constant change, the meaning of branding changed too during the last decades. The brand transitioned from being defined by its name, logo, design, slogan, sign or a combination of these elements to being represented by how the consumers think and feel about the company. For example, Apple managed to seed in the consumers’ minds the following concepts: premium, professionalism, quality, dedication, cutting-edge technology and innovation.
The difference between a brand and a product
Today, through branding, companies want to plant in the hearts and minds of the public a high level of trust. The reason behind is to make them come back and embrace the new products with confidence.
In other words, branding focuses more on the emotional values and less on functional ones. We tend to believe that the fame of a brand begins with a successful product, but facts prove this belief wrong. The time has shown that the brand is making the product famous. Of course, it can’t be fame without quality, but the quality itself is not enough to create a good brand.
You must be able to distinguish a brand from a product.
The product is that object (be it virtual or physical) or concept that will be sold under a certain brand and will bring revenue to the company. The brand can represent hundreds of products.
Take a look at the painters, beginning with the Renaissance period. They understood that branding isn’t only for businesses.
The artist’s signature reveals more than the identity of the creator. It is the marking of his own presence in his work.
Let me tell you something that is less known to the general public.
Most of the great artists had talented apprentices in their workshops. They were working for their teachers during their years of training. For finishing touches, the masters’ intervention was needed. He then signed the work, turning it, from a simple artwork of a talented young man into a work that came to value colossal sums.
For example, look at the baroque painter, Paul Rubens. He left an inheritance of about 1,400 paintings and hundreds of drawings. These are more than one could possibly create in 62 years of life.
Jack Flam reported in his book the power of a notorious signature.
His story, perhaps made up but still meaningful, tells about what happened when Picasso treated a group of friends at a restaurant. After getting the bill, he started drawing on it and handed it to the restorer asking “What if I gave you this?”.
Delighted, the restorer asked him to sign it. The answer was brilliant:
I buy only the meal, not the restaurant.
In a nutshell, this is how much reputation and a well-designed brand could influence a company’s pricing system.
Why does your company need a successful branding?
Because the classic method of selling things doesn’t work anymore. Businesses realized that a great brand facilitates the buying process. How does this work?
- it makes your products more valuable —a good branding strategy allows you to charge more for your services/products. Again, Apple serves us as a great example. We all know that no matter what they’ll launch, it’ll be quite pricey.
- it helps the company stand-out from the competition
- it talks for your company — it’s like a business card used by the marketing guys to promote your company
- it is meant to influence behaviors and attitudes about products and services.
A good brand makes your customer’s decision easier when they have to choose between you and other similar brands. What would you choose if you’d like a drink and you’d have to choose between Coca-Cola and other generic brands?
But in order for this to happen, every brand should make sure they are as they appear. If Nike would produce fewer sports items for women, in spite of their pro women campaign, their image would suffer for sure.
It is important to keep an honest balance between what a company promises and what it delivers.
How does branding work?
Now that we’ve learned when branding appeared and why is it important, let’s focus on the how.
When creating a brand, consistency and perseverance are the keywords. You need to invest time and effort to persuade consumers to give your brand a chance.
In order for this to happen there are some elements every brand should care about:
- first of all, the name. In the long run, the name of your company will be the one remembered even if the uniqueness of the idea fades.
- the logo — which is a combination of the brand name and and/or a graphic symbol with a very high power of penetration in the mind of the consumer.
The public cannot always make the difference between the logo and the brand. Keep in mind that a logo is only the graphic expression of the brand. Also, it provides identification, not sales. It can reflect the quality and a part of the brand values it represents.
- brand positioning — determined through rigorous market analysis, including company competitors at both the local and global level. The analyses must find the weaknesses and strengths of the company concerned.
- brand voice — The way of addressing influences what the audience thinks about the brand. Ideally, you should study the branding within social networks and promotional campaigns. The studies should determine strengths and weaknesses and improve the way a brand expresses itself.
- brand personality — we can compare the image of a brand to human personality. We can associate with it different feelings. For instance, the Coca-Cola brand relates to happiness. Pepsi relates to spiritual youth and Always with the women empowerment.
Consumers no longer want only a great product — they want to buy products from companies that align with their own character and values. — Muhtar Kent
How do you keep a brand consistent?
Consistency is the key attribute that a company should aim for in order to be easily identifiable and to maintain a high level of trust. The most important tool that ensures the consistency of a brand is the branding guide.
The branding guide or the branding manual is a document that encodes how an organization presents itself to the world. In other words, it is a reference tool that helps maintain consistency by giving precise indications on how a brand looks and manifests itself (voice, grids, core values, image styles, fonts, etc.).
Before starting the branding process, the company has to define the mission, vision, target audience, brand personality and core values. These elements are very important in defining a brands identity and in creating a branding guide.
Conclusion
To sum up, a brand is how you present your company to the public and a product is what your company sells under the brand. Even though it’s difficult to define your brand, you should understand that this is the key for your business to stand out, move forward and sell valuable services/products.
I hope this article helped you better understand the meaning of branding, its history and importance for the business owners or audience.
