What is a brand?

It's not uncommon for a "brand" to be thought of as a logo, a company name or tagline. While those are part of building your brand, there's much more. Very simply, a brand is the feeling people have or what comes to mind when they see, hear or think about your company. It's the totality of experience with your company, including product, pricing, and service.

The logo creates a visual identity, while the "brand" creates a visceral feeling. Together they are your brand. Together they create the feeling customers have toward your company. An Example: Nike vs. Time Warner Cable.

When most people think of Nike not only does world-famous "swish" logo come to mind, but also the feelings about the company. People recognize and like Nike the "brand", not just its logo. Then there's Time Warner Cable. Most people have negative feelings about the company because of poor service, high fees and the company's

Unwillingness to remain competitive. It doesn't matter what their visual logo is. PeopledislikeTWC. In these two cases, the logo plays a small part. The brand is based on the totality of customers' experience. And that's what building your brand is all about. 

Defining your brand and creating a strategy

When defining your brand, you want to develop a brand strategy that not only includes your logo but also how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering your brand message. In order to build a strong brand, you must understand who your customers are and what they want. You must learn the needs, habits and desires of your customers and prospects. You need to think from the customers' perspective, not yours. 

Post Script

Building your brand is not easy. It's not going to happen overnight. Brands that are well-known today took years to create. So you need to be patient, consistent and committed to building your brand. Keep delivering on your promise one day at a time and one day in the near future, you'll have a brand you can leverage and of which you can be proud.