There is a lot of confusion about what branding is. Let’s first talk about what branding is not:
- “Brand” does not mean “logo”.
- A “brand” is not a product that is stacked on shelves.
- The term “brand” is not synonymous with “product line”.
Companies have to wake up to the fact that they are more than a product on a shelf. They’re a behavior as well.
~Robert Haas, Levis Strauss.
Branding is the set of expectations people have when they think about your company, or your products.
Think of it this way: I have a 9 month old son. When he is near any electronic device I know exactly what he’s going to do. He’ll do everything in his power to put it in his mouth. It’s an expected behavior. How do I know he’ll do this? Because he’s consistent.
Consistency is the key to brand identity.
Pretend that United Airlines, Virgin Airlines, and Southwest Airlines all met at a hotel bar for a few hours.
A) Which brand is most likely to be wearing shorts and a t-shirt, telling jokes at the table?
B) Which brand is most likely to be found belting out tunes alongside the hotel piano player?
C) Which brand is most likely to be dressed in a suit, sitting quietly at the table the whole time?
Did you answer that Southwest Airlines would be telling jokes, Virgin Airlines would be singing with the piano player, and United Airlines would be in a suit, quiet at the table?
How is it that everyone makes the same conclusions?
Branding.
Companies, such as these big airlines, spend incredible amounts of money to create brand experiences (such as commercials, websites, YouTube videos, inflight experiences, social media messages, and more) that reiterate and reinforce their brand identity.
What makes them outstanding is the brand equity they have built by being incredibly consistent through all of their touch points.
The only way to build brand value is through consistency in all brand experiences.
