What is a brand; the sequel

We've written a previous post in an attempt to define branding using an illustration from Breakfast at Tiffany's, however we wanted to write a companion post in hopes to clarify branding a bit more.

Although we help people build their brands all day and all night, it is always tough to describe it when someone asks "what is a brand?" so we've been working on finding a better way to explain this infinitely important concept in a way that is simple and easy to understand. Here's what we've come up with: A brand is a perception.

In context of your organization, a brand is the perception a customer has of your company. Similarly, in context of yourself personally, a brand is the perception someone has of your character. There are two components of a brand: your internal brand and your external brand.

Internally, your brand is who you are at the core—it must be intentionally formed throughout your culture by continually upholding your established values.

Externally, your brand is the impression (or perception) that a customer or prospective customer has of your company.

Weak brands stem from an internal brand that is undefined, unremarkable, and maybe even just plain negative. Because their internal brand is so weak there is nothing to leverage into a memorable experience for their customers. Therefore their customers' perceptions of these companies are that they are vague, boring, or putting on a show (that they quickly see-through). This type of experience is off-putting for a customer and doesn't inspire customers to fall in love with your product or service.

Powerful brands find their strength in first building, strong, remarkable internal brands and then taking deliberate steps to demonstrate that brand throughout each touchpoint with a customer or prospective customer. By deliberately infusing their brand through every interaction—including their logo, website, marketing materials, office decor, customer service, etc.—these companies' customers experience a strong, consistent, memorable perception of what truly drives this organization. This type of experience is a delight for your customer and leaves them hungry for more of your product or service (and often willing to pay a premium for it).

Here at Strong Design, we work hard to further our clients brands. We do this by taking the time to learn about our clients' brands and designing each of their marketing pieces to help accurately shape a customer's perception of them and align the external perception of the company with the remarkable brand that lies within.