What is Branding and Why Should it Concern You?

The condition of the economy over the last couple of years has brought an increasing emphasis on marketing and, with it, lots of talk about “branding.” Just what is “branding” and why should it concern you?

Let’s deal first with why it should concern you. You have a brand, even if you do not know it. That brand may be something positive or negative. In the mind of your prospects or customers, you or your organization are identified with certain attributes. You can be identified with speed, integrity, youth, sophistication, comfort, fun, prestige, masculinity, reliability, pride, romance, the opposite of any of these, or a thousand other attributes impossible to list here. Your customers consciously or unconsciously connect you with your “brand.” Years ago my kids rented videos from a store where the owners did some cooking in the back room. To them, it became the “smelly” store. I don’t think this is what the owners intended, but we discovered that lots of people could easily identify the store by that attribute rather than its name. Hopefully, your brand is not an aroma – unless you are Chanel #5.

Your brand is the principal attribute, or sum of attributes that your customers associate with you or your organization. It can be elusive, a feeling or emotion, as in “the ultimate driving machine,” “you’re in good hands,” or “the happiest kingdom on earth.” Or it can be more tangible or measurable like Wal-Mart’s “lowest price” brand. Of course, these slogans are not the brand, but merely material that carries the brand. Large companies generate marketing collateral, their advertising, brochures, business cards, jingles, etc., all intended to convey the attribute they want you to associate with them. Thus, Nike will choose material for its marketing collateral, like the slogan “Just do it,” or the swoosh symbol, or the star athletes in its commercials. All are intended to convey athleticism or physical performance. You are not just buying the shoes; you are buying the brand - performance.

Odds are you don’t have the budget these large companies have to promote your brand, so you have to use your more limited resources wisely. There are steps you can take to get started that won’t cost you anything. I'll write more about those in another post.