The Importance of a Brand

You see them everywhere. A yellow letter M represents a fast food franchise, a rainbow hued apple is a computer company, a swoosh signifies an athletic shoe. A brand is a name, sign, symbol, slogan or anything that is used to identify and distinguish a specific product, service, or business.

Brand is the image of the product in the market. The consumer can think of a brand on two different levels, the first being what they think about a brand, or the psychological aspect of a brand. This is called brand image. A second way to consider a brand is the experience consumers have with that product, or the brand experience.

A brand is one of the most valuable elements in an advertising theme because it demonstrates what the brand owner is able to offer in the marketplace. People who are engaged in branding want to develop and control the expectations behind the brand experience. They want to create the impression that a brand associated with a product or service has certain qualities or characteristics that make it special or unique. The art of creating and maintaining a brand is called brand management. Orientation of the whole organization towards its brand is called brand orientation.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand
Will Lion http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/2611822164/