I would like to learn more about branding.

Branding can sometimes be an ambiguous word.  We like to simplify it as much as we can, because simple is good. 

Here’s what Wikipedia says:

A brand is a customer experience represented by a collection of images and ideas; often, it refers to a symbol such as a name, logo, slogan, and design scheme. Brand recognition and other reactions are created by the accumulation of experiences with the specific product or service, both directly relating to its use, and through the influence of advertising, design, and media commentary. A brand is a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to a company, product or service. A brand serves to create associations and expectations among products made by a producer. A brand often includes an explicit logo, fonts, color schemes, symbols, sound which may be developed to represent implicit values, ideas, and even personality.

That’s simple right?

We define branding as the way your business conducts relationships with its customers. Not just your employees, or your product mix, or your packaging, or storefront, but your business as a whole.

Take this example: 

Starbucks (one of the strongest brands in the United States today.)

When you hear the word Starbucks, you immediately think of something. Now I think great coffee, you may think Latte, someone else may think $4.35 for a freakin coffee??? But many, if not most Americans have formed an opinion about Starbucks by now. Most of those opinions are positive, thus the company does really really well at selling those $4.35 cups of ground beans and hot water.

There are dozens of things that go into developing the Starbucks brand: the Coffee Batista that prepares your order, the beans that Starbucks creates using an exclusive roasting process, the logo and logowear, the lighting, the color scheme, and the list goes on and on...

When you think about Starbucks, you feel a certain way. That's what we like to call Branding. It is the emotional connection you have with a product.

So how does Branding make you money? If you make the people in your community feel better about your business than the national chain or other competitor, then you will grow the fastest. Itís really that simple.

Where the complicated part comes in is how to make your community feel better about you than your competition. That is where Brand Champion can help, simply.

Where would you like to go next?