BRAND

The term brand refers to a business and marketing concept that helps people identify a particular
company, product, or individual.
Brands are intangible, which means you can't actually touch or see them. As such, they help
shape people's perceptions of companies, their products, or individuals.
Brands commonly use identifying markers to help create brand identities within the
marketplace. They provide enormous value to the company or individual, giving them a
competitive edge over others in the same industry. As such, many entities seek legal protection
for their brands by obtaining trademarks.
A brand is considered to be one of the most valuable and important assets for a company. In
fact, many companies are often referred to by their brand, which means they are often
inseparable, becoming one and the same. 4  Coca-Cola is a great example, where the popular soft
drink became synonymous with the company itself. This means it carries a tremendous
monetary value, affecting both the bottom line and, for public companies, shareholder value

This is why it's important for companies to protect their brands from a legal standpoint.
Trademarks identify exclusive ownership over a brand and/or product, along with any
associated marketing tools. Registering trademarks  prevent others from using your products or
services without obtaining your permission. 5

Brands aren't just for corporate use. In fact, they are now also commonly used by individuals,
especially in the age of reality television and social media. For instance, the Kardashian family
developed value in its brand after gaining popularity from the reality show. The family has,
collectively and as individuals, used its name to successfully launch media and modeling
careers, spinoff shows, cosmetics, perfumes, and clothing lines.

Types of Brands

The type of brand used depends on the particular entity using it. The following are some of the
most common forms of brands:

 Corporate Brands: Corporate branding is a way for companies to market themselves in

order to give themselves an edge against their competition. They make a series of
important decisions in order to accomplish this, such as pricing, mission, target market,
and values.
 Personal Brands: As mentioned above, branding isn't just for companies anymore.
People use tools like social media to build their own personas, thereby boosting their
brands. This includes regular social media posts, sharing images and videos, and
conducting meet-and-greets.
  Product Brands: This type of branding, which is also known as merchandise branding,
involves marketing one particular product. Branding a product requires market
research and choosing the proper target market.
 Service Brands: This kind of branding applies to services, which often requires some
creativity, as you can't actually show services in a physical way.

Brand elements
Brands typically comprise various elements, such as:
 name: the word or words used to identify a company, product, service, or concept
 logo: the visual trademark that identifies a brand
 tagline or catchphrase: a short phrase always used in the product's advertising and
closely associated with the brand
 graphics: the "dynamic ribbon" is a trademarked part of Coca-Cola's brand
 shapes: the distinctive shapes of the Coca-Cola bottle and of the Volkswagen Beetle
are trademarked elements of those brands
 colors: the instant recognition consumers have when they see Tiffany & Co.’s robin's
egg blue (Pantone No. 1837). Tiffany & Co.’s trademarked the color in 1998.[88]
 sounds: a unique tune or set of notes can denote a brand. NBC's chimes provide a
famous example.
 scents: the rose-jasmine-musk scent of Chanel No. 5 is trademarked
 tastes: Kentucky Fried Chicken has trademarked its special recipe of eleven herbs and
spices for fried chicken
 movements: Lamborghini has trademarked the upward motion of its car doors

Brand name

The term "brand name" is quite often used interchangeably with "brand", although it is more
correctly used to specifically denote written or spoken linguistic elements of any product. In this
context, a "brand name" constitutes a type of trademark, if the brand name exclusively identifies
the brand owner as the commercial source of products or services.
A brand owner may seek to protect proprietary rights in relation to a brand name
through trademark registration – such trademarks are called "Registered Trademarks".
Types of brand name
Brand names come in many styles. Few are-
 initialism: a name made of initials, such as "UPS" or "IBM"
 descriptive: names that describe a product benefit or function, such as "Whole
Foods" or "Toys R' Us"
 alliteration and rhyme: names that are fun to say and which stick in the mind, such
as "Reese's Pieces" or "Dunkin' Donuts"
 evocative: names that can evoke a vivid image, such as "Amazon" or "Crest"
 neologisms: completely made-up words, such as "Wii" or "Häagen-Dazs"
  foreign word: adoption of a word from another language, such as "Volvo" or
"Samsung"
 founders' names: using the names of real people, (especially a founder's surname),
such as "Hewlett-Packard", "Dell", "Disney", "Stussy" or "Mars"
 geography: naming for regions and landmarks, such as "Cisco" or "Fuji Film"
 personification: taking names from myths, such as "Nike"; or from the minds of ad
execs, such as "Betty Crocker"
 punny: some brands create their name by using a silly pun, such as "Lord of the
Fries", "Wok on Water" or "Eggs Eggscetera"
 portmanteau: combining multiple words together to create one, such as "Microsoft"
("microcomputer" and "software"), "Comcast" ("communications" and "broadcast"),
"Evernote" ("forever" and "note"), "Vodafone" ("voice", "data", "telephone")

BRAND PERSONALITY
The term brand personality refers to a set of human characteristics that are attributed to
a brand name. An effective brand increases its brand equity by having a consistent set of traits
that a specific consumer segment enjoys. This personality is a qualitative value-add that a brand
gains in addition to its functional benefits. As such, a brand personality is something to which
the consumer can relate.
How it works
Brand personality is a framework that helps a company or organization shape the way people
feel about its product, service, or mission. A company's brand personality elicits an emotional
response in a specific consumer segment, with the intention of inciting positive actions that
benefit the firm.
Customers are more likely to purchase a brand if its personality is similar to their own. There
are five main types of brand personalities with common traits.
1. Excitement: Carefree, spirited, and youthful- New technology thrills youth.
2. Sincerity: Kindness, thoughtfulness, and an orientation toward family values-Tyre
company might use this.
3. Ruggedness: Rough, tough, outdoor, and athletic- sporting goods company.
4. Competence: Successful, accomplished, and influential, which is highlighted by
leadership- Insurance company etc.
5. Sophistication: Elegant, prestigious, and sometimes even pretentious- Luxory product-
clothing, jewellery, fine foods etc.

BRAND LOYALTY

Brand loyalty is the positive association consumers attach to a particular product or brand.
Customers who exhibit brand loyalty are devoted to a product or service, which is demonstrated
by their repeat purchases despite competitors' efforts to lure them away. Corporations invest
significant amounts of money in customer service and marketing to create and maintain brand
loyalty for an established product. Coca-Cola Company is an example of an iconic brand that
has resulted in customers demonstrating brand loyalty over the years despite Pepsi's products
and marketing efforts.

Loyal customers are the ones who will purchase the same brand regardless of convenience or
price. These loyal customers have found a product that meets their needs, and they're not
interested in experimenting with another brand.

Most established brand name products exist in a highly competitive market overwhelmed with
new and old competing products, many of them barely distinguishable. As a result, companies
employ many tactics to create and maintain brand loyalty. They spend their advertising budgets
on messages targeted at the segment of the market that includes their loyal customers and like-
minded people who could become loyal customers.

The term brand recognition refers to the ability of consumers to identify a specific brand by its
attributes over another one. Brand recognition is a concept used in advertising and marketing. It
is considered successful when people are able to recognize a brand through visual or auditory
cues such as logos, slogans, packaging, colors, or jingles rather than being explicitly exposed to
a company's name. Companies often conduct market research to determine the success of their
brand recognition strategies.

Brand recognition is often paired with brand recall, which is why it's also known as aided brand
recall. Aided brand recall is the ability of customers to think of a brand name from their
memory when told to think of a category of products. Brand recall tends to indicate a stronger
connection to a brand than brand recognition. For example, people tend to think of more brand
names when prompted by a product than by a category. Brand recall is also called unaided
recall or spontaneous recall.

BRAND IDENTITY

A strong brand identity doesn’t happen overnight. You can’t just pick a few
colors and haphazardly slap a logo together. You need to approach your design
strategically to build an identity that truly reflects your brand—and can
support you as you grow. This requires deep thinking, a team with strong
communication and design skills, and an intimate understanding of who you
are, what you do, and how you want to present your brand to the world. 

Need of Brand identity

A strong brand identity is not about making pretty packaging; it’s about communicating your
brand story effectively. Design is a powerful tool that can transform how people interact with
your brand in three important ways. 
1. Differentiation: How can you stand out in a crowded marketplace? Your brand identity
can play a strong role. Whether you want your product to stand out on a shelf, or you
 want your ads to stand out on Facebook, creating a consistent, cohesive presentation is
the secret to success. 
2. Connection: The more effectively you communicate who you are, the easier it will be for
people to engage with you and, ultimately, join your community of lifelong fans. 
3. Experience: Everything you create reflects your brand. Thus, if you want to create a
consistent, cohesive brand experience, you need to present a consistent, cohesive identity.
From your website, to your social media, to your sales brochures, a strong identity is the
key to elevating your brand experience. 

TOOL BOX OF BRAND IDENTITY

When you create a brand identity, you’re basically building a toolbox of visual elements to help
you communicate effectively. This can be basic or extensive; it all depends on your brand’s
needs. 
Regardless, every brand needs a basic identity, which includes three core elements: 
 Logo
 Color paletteColor paletteColor paletteColor paletteColor palette
 Typography

If you create a wider variety of content (or plan to), you may also design additional elements to
express your brand across mediums, including:
 Photography
 Illustration
 Iconography
 Data visualization
To truly succeed, you need to build a brand identity that is…
 Distinct: It stands out among competitors and catches people’s attention.
 Memorable: It makes a visual impact. (Consider Apple: The logo is so memorable they
only include the logo—not their name—on their products.)
 Scalable: It can grow and evolve with the brand.
 Flexible: It can be used in many different applications (web, print, etc.). 
 Cohesive: Each piece complements the other. 
 Easy to apply: It’s intuitive and clear for designers to use.

BRAND MAKING PROCESS(निर्माण प्रक्रिया)

What are your brand's objectives and how do you communicate them?– What problems
will your brand solve and how will it benefit its intended customers?

How do you identify your ideal customers?– who will benefit from the brand? How do
these customers feel and how would they like to feel?

How do you identify your competitors– who is already giving your potential customers
what they want and how?--- SWOT ANALYSIS( Strength, weakness, opportunity and
threat)

How do you engage potential customers?– What personality and tone of voice will your
brand have to achieve its goals?

Successful brand building process outshines competition and plays an important role to

create your customer’s loyalty. You need to establish a strong connect with your customer

in order to make your company successful. Brand building is an ongoing process which

defines your company’s vision and position in the market.

A successful brand building process increases your sales and advocates your product or

service. From developing your Brand Guide to creating crucial brand elements such a

logo and slogan, brand building process represents your company’s true spirit.

A successful brand has to be consistent in communication and experience across

 Environment
 Print & packaging

 Website & online advertising

 Content marketing

 Social media

 Sales & customer service

Step 1: Determine Target Audience

When you are building your brand, always keep in mind who you are targeting with your

communication. Identify your target audience and tailor your mission to meet their

requirement in the best possible manner.

Aim for a scenario where you create campaigns as per the needs of your customers.

Decide what type of communication best delivers your message to the audience you are

targeting. Don’t forget to filter your audience on the basis of their demography, age,

interest and behavior. It will help you to target niche into the segment.

Step 2: Define Brand Mission

Define the values you want to incorporate with your audience base. Your vision and

mission statement basically depicts the purpose of your existence. It will guide your

brand building process across channels. You need to present an authentic image of what

your company strives for.

You need to articulate your company’s mission across channels so that it sets path of

your communication. Everything from logo to your tagline, your communication should

reflect your mission. Always ask yourself:

 Why have you started your business?

 What are your goals?

 Who is your target audience?

Step 3: Research Competition

Analyze your competition and find out what they are offering to their customers. Think

why your business is different from your competitors. Your branding should focus on

that difference and should revolve around what makes your product better than the rest.
If you find that your market is filled with a vast number of competitors, then you can try

tweaking your branding process with an exclusive communication strategy. Always

remember to:

 Be aware about what your competitors are doing

 Research about their USPs

 Differentiate yourself from others

 Convince your customers what makes you the best

Step 4: Create Value Propositions

Always focus on what makes your brand unique and valuable. Find your value

propositions that sets your business apart from your competition. Today, customers are

interacting with many brands, therefore you need to communicate that you stand out

from the market.

Include your value preposition in every marketing communication you are driving across

channels. It is one of the most important step to build a successful brand. For example,

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Step 5: Determine Brand Guidelines

Brand guidelines define your brand’s tonality and sets specific rules on how your

business should interact with the audience. It helps you to maintain consistency across

channels and makes your business more recognizable.

Develop your brand guide as it sets a definite pattern for your visual elements (logo,

templates etc.) and structures your brand tone.

Step 6: Market Your Brand

Prepare a definite marketing strategy to market your brand. Apply your branding in

every piece of communication, from packaging to stationary, website to marketing

collateral. Display your brand in as many places as possible.

Identify new channels such as email, web and affiliates to promote your brand. Also

advertise your brand in unexpected locations such as employee t-shirts, your social

media pages and office goodies.

Brand building process is an ongoing process and following above steps will definitely

stand you apart from your competitors. Also read our blog on, “The Importance of

Brand Guidelines”.