I’m about to take the American Marketing Association head on when it comes to defining “branding”.  No, they aren’t necessarily wrong. But they aren’t necessarily right, either.

According to About.com, “The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.”

The AMA definition makes it sound as though branding is mostly about your “look and feel”.  That, in my opinion, is “visual identity” or “visual branding”.  Your logo, look, feel, tag line, etc… are how people recognize you when they are making a purchasing decision.  For example, you are driving on vacation and your kids need a bathroom break or your stomach is rumbling, what do you do?  You look in the distance for what?  McDonald’s “Golden Arches”.  Right?  Those arches are part of McDonald’s visual brand.

About.com also goes on to say, “Therefore it makes sense to understand that branding is not about getting your target market to choose you over the competition, but it is about getting your prospects to see you as the only one that provides a solution to their problem.”  While I agree it’s important to get your prospects and clients to see you as the “only one that provides a solution to their problem”, I would add to that… ” at a price they can afford and a value they perceive”.

For instance, I need to eat to live.  There are several restaurants, grocery stores, and fast food joints that I can choose from.  They all provide a solution to my hunger problem.  But what and who I choose depends on several factors.   Am I taking my wife out on a date?  Do I have my 7-year-old son with me?  How much time do I have to eat?  Am I dieting?  Is it a special occasion?  It’s about what I perceive to be the best choice, at the best price with the best value at that very moment my brain says, “Aha! That’s the one!”

Branding is a whole lot more than your look and feel.  It’s about perception. It’s about your prospects’ and customers’ perceptions of your business and of you as a business owner.  Therefore, you don’t own your brand – your customers do.  And brands can fluctuate depending on the needs and wants of your target audience.  Mention Walmart or Target to ten different people and ask them what their initial reaction is and you’ll get varying answers as to what those brands mean to them.  The same goes with PC or Mac or any other product.  Your brand extends to your products, services, customer service, problem-solving, dispute resolution, location, and more.  You don’t really control your brand as much as you control what you would “like” your brand to exude.

Your brand can change on a dime.  You might remember a few years ago when a customer reported they found a finger in their chili at Wendy’s or when it was discovered that someone was tampering with bottles of Tylenol on store shelves.  More recently, look at how many of the large banks and financial institutions are now perceived by the public.  The public opinion of those businesses all shifted and their brands were tainted, at least temporarily.  Any negative customer experiences or bad press can turn your brand on its ear in an instant.  Likewise, a company can improve its brand when it does something good  like offereing an innovative new product, creating new jobs or helping out in the community.

If your company is considering “rebranding” or you are thinking about starting a business and developing a “brand”, you need a “brand strategy”.  Building a brand strategy is like mapping out a vacation.  You know where you want to end up but you have to think about how to get there.  Do you drive, fly, or take a ship?  What do you wear?  Where will you stay?  What will you eat?  You don’t simply plan a trip and just go… unless you are seeking adventure.  

It’s the same with branding.  Think about what you want to be perceived as.  Then gather friends, family, customers, prospects, vendors and other people who know you and your business or industry.  Get their feedback.  Ask them how they perceive you.  You’ll learn a lot about yourself and your business.

If you are thinking about branding or rebranding, I can help.  I have worked with a number of companies from sole proprietorships and venture start-ups to family businesses and divisions within larger companies to develop or refine all aspects of their brand.