Misconception of brand management in todays business environment.

What is branding and brand design? Having a clear and concise brand strategy leads to stronger overall brand equity – how people feel about or perceived your products, and how much they are willing to pay for it, all point towards a stable products or services. Many top executives working for multinational companies across the world has over the years misconstrued the concept of branding to be product differentiation, company logo, fancy letter headed paper, website etc. but, branding is much more than this simple factors. It is the true reflection of what your company stand for in the eyes of consumers, in fact, it won’t be out of place if it is regarded as the strength of the firm. It’s the first ambassador of your firm in the absence of your marketers and customer service people –it is that silent voice that speaks loyalty to consumers.

Those lots who think branding to be product/service differentiation only get their products to the shelf and totally differentiating from the rest of other products. All what product/service differentiation as a brand strategy does to consumers is to see that particular product on the shelf and avoid it, may be because of prior experience of the said product but if this strategic initiative is to be adopted, managers must be careful and clever enough to first pursue promise of products/service delivery. Your products must meet the required standard it projects to the public, it must measure up in quality and this key factors must be maintained and never compromised at any point of production or service delivery.

How do we discuss branding and brand design without a mention of product character? Branding is about character, the content of a product is an influence and a function of customer loyalties. Now how is that? People who drink coca-cola do so because it is true to its character and the content delivers always, to the extent that those who consumes the products never have an iota of doubt about what the taste will be. The goodness of the product, that fancy letter headed paper and the neatness of staff will not project the image of your company and its various products beyond the walls of your office.

If your products delivers in content what it promises in character, automatically it promotes customer loyalty which extends to brand recognition and huge followership. Instead of putting more effort in pushing forward products or services that may never compete effectively in the market, spend half that time garnering together strong competitive brand that will be rewarding and acceptable to your target market.