If you ask ten marketing professionals or brand managers to define the word "brand", you very well may get ten different answers. Most of the answers you receive, hopefully, will at least have some commonalities.
In my own experience and in my extensive study of brands and branding, there is one definition of "brand" that seems to most succinctly define exactly what a brand is.
The definition of brand: A brand is an identifiable entity that makes specific promises of value.
In its simplest form, a brand is nothing more and nothing less than the promises of value you or your product make. These promises can be implied or explicitly stated, but none-the-less, value of some type is promised.
Additional definitions
Brand image is defined as consumers' perceptions as reflected by the associations they hold in their minds when they think of your brand.
Brand awareness is when people recognize your brand as yours. This does not necessarily mean they prefer your brand (brand preference), attach a high value to, or associate any superior attributes to your brand, it just means they recognize your brand and can identify it under different conditions.
Brand awareness consists of both brand recognition, which is the ability of consumers to confirm that they have previously been exposed to your brand, and brand recall, which reflects the ability of consumers to name your brand when given the product category, category need, or some other similar cue.
Aided awareness occurs when you show or read a list of brands and the person expresses familiarity with your brand only after they hear or see it.
Top-of-mind awareness occurs when you ask a person to name brands within a product category and your brand pops up first on the list.
When you think about facial tissue, gelatin, and adhesive bandages, do the brands Kleenex�, Jello�, and Band-Aid� come to mind? These brands enjoy strong top-of-mind awareness in their respective categories.
In my own experience and in my extensive study of brands and branding, there is one definition of "brand" that seems to most succinctly define exactly what a brand is.
The definition of brand: A brand is an identifiable entity that makes specific promises of value.
In its simplest form, a brand is nothing more and nothing less than the promises of value you or your product make. These promises can be implied or explicitly stated, but none-the-less, value of some type is promised.
Additional definitions
Brand image is defined as consumers' perceptions as reflected by the associations they hold in their minds when they think of your brand.
Brand awareness is when people recognize your brand as yours. This does not necessarily mean they prefer your brand (brand preference), attach a high value to, or associate any superior attributes to your brand, it just means they recognize your brand and can identify it under different conditions.
Brand awareness consists of both brand recognition, which is the ability of consumers to confirm that they have previously been exposed to your brand, and brand recall, which reflects the ability of consumers to name your brand when given the product category, category need, or some other similar cue.
Aided awareness occurs when you show or read a list of brands and the person expresses familiarity with your brand only after they hear or see it.
Top-of-mind awareness occurs when you ask a person to name brands within a product category and your brand pops up first on the list.
When you think about facial tissue, gelatin, and adhesive bandages, do the brands Kleenex�, Jello�, and Band-Aid� come to mind? These brands enjoy strong top-of-mind awareness in their respective categories.