Understanding what a ‘brand’ is can be a terribly confusing business.
Ask most people and they’ll probably mention logos but they’re just signifiers of branding – there’s much more to brands than creating recognisable visuals.
As Wally Olins puts it: ‘A brand is simply an organisation, or a product, or service with personality. So why all the fuss?’*
Why indeed?
In business, brand is everything – or, at least, it’s at the heart of everything – and the key to understanding it is personality.
It’s not what an organisation, product, or service is; it’s how it presents itself and, to a large extent, how it’s perceived.
So brands are like people and, just like all of us, they care about what people think of them and the way they feel about them.
Think about yourself – what you say, what you do, the clothes you wear, the places you shop, the media you consume, etc… All these things are part of who you are; not only contributing to the way other people see you but also the way you feel about yourself.
They will, in many cases, be brands in their own right but they are all elements of ‘brand you’.
And thinking about your organisation, product or service in that way can be the first step towards understanding your brand.
All of this is why PR and marketing are so important to brands, in helping tell stories and create visuals that generate awareness, shape opinions and build loyalty.
If you need help bringing your brand’s story to life, drop me a line: mark@markwall.co.uk
*from ‘Wally Olins: The Brand Handbook’ which I highly recommend. If you’re interested, you can buy it here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wally-Olins-The-Brand-Handbook/dp/0500514089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385657059&sr=8-1&keywords=wally+olins+the+brand+handbook (other booksellers are available).
