Sounds like a simple question, right? I mean, we use the term on a daily basis, but do people really understand what it means? It is used in so many different ways to describe different things, that it is no wonder people are unsure. What does ‘brand’ actually mean when we use it, and how has the application of the word changed over time?

History of the word ‘brand’

The term ‘brand’ was first used by cattle ranchers in America over 100 years ago who used ‘branding irons’ as an easy way to identify which animals were theirs. As the cattle were moved across large plains on the way to slaughter, it was easy to determine which cattle belonged to which ranch as they were branded. So, when the term was first used it was probably more closely aligned with our understanding of the word ‘trademark’ today.

Move forward to the 19th century and there was a growth in the use of packaged goods, such as flour, sugar, and beverages. Manufacturers adapted this idea and put their mark on these goods so that consumers knew which manufacturer had made what and could more easily identify their favourites. At this point, then, the ‘brand’ was more likely to refer to what we would now consider the ‘brand name’ such as Coca Cola.

Moving into the 20th Century, we started to see consumers differentiating between the brand name and the brand. The Father of Advertising, David Ogilvy actually defined brand at this point as ‘the intangible sum of a product’s attributes.” So, a brand is more than just a name, it is the perception the consumer has in their mind as to what the qualities of a particular product or service are.

What is your brand?

Taking all of this into account then, your brand is what people think about when they hear your company or product name. These thoughts could be factually based, such as it comes in a white box, or they could be emotional reactions (which we will look more closely at in later blogs). Your brand name is a fixed entity – people can see it objectively. Your brand, on the other hand, is a subjective thing that exists in people’s minds.

As you can see, it is really difficult to actually pin a definition to the term ‘brand’ these days as it is such a subjective thing. However, there are some insights into branding that we can share.

Branding Insights

#1 Your brand will mean different things to different people

Brands are dynamic and will mean different things to different people – such as your current customers, your potential customers, and your employees. Some people will connect more closely with certain aspects of your brand, while others will connect with other aspects of your brand. And like any other relationship, their connection will change over time as they hopefully grow in trust, loyalty and engagement with your brand. So, how do you help with this? Well, you need to work on identifying all of the different consumer types who are interacting with your business, working out how to reach them most successfully, and creating marketing campaigns that will help to develop their relationship with your brand. All things that the team here at Zool can help with.

#2 Your brand will develop and change over time

Many people make the mistake of thinking that the brand structure they set up when they start their business is the same brand structure they will have five, ten, fifty years down the line. This is just not the case. Take Zool for example, we have recently gone through a rebranding process just five years after starting the business, as our brand has evolved and changed as the business has changed. We needed to respond to our expansion of service offerings and shift with the times, and so our brand had to change to reflect that.

#3 Emotions are key in branding

This is such an important point to get across, and the one we will cover in more depth in later blogs, but most successful brands today are built on the emotions they stir in people. If you ask people about their favourite brands, for example, they will often talk about how that brand makes them feel.

#4 Defining the impact your brand has can help

One way of defining your brand is to define what impact it can have on other business, for example, Zool can help businesses to achieve a stronger ROI for their marketing budget. Defining your brand like this can help to show how it works and what benefits businesses would get from working with you.

Although defining your brand can be a difficult process, it is a really important exercise to undertake as it can help to drive both your business and brand forward. We recently undertook a branding workshop with our client Gentronix, for example, which you can read more about in their case study. All of their employees were involved, and now that they all have a greater understanding of their brand and what makes them different from other similar businesses, they have worked with us to develop a marketing strategy which we are hopeful will allow them to reach their full potential in the future.

So, why not talk to Zool about your brand today? We can help you define it, what it means to different people, and show the impact it has – all of which will do great things for your business.

What is a brand?

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Sounds like a simple question, right? I mean, we use the term on a daily basis, but do people really understand what it means? It is used in so many different ways to describe different things, that it is no wonder people are unsure. What does ‘brand’ actually mean when we use it, and how has the application of the word changed over time?

History of the word ‘brand’

The term ‘brand’ was first used by cattle ranchers in America over 100 years ago who used ‘branding irons’ as an easy way to identify which animals were theirs. As the cattle were moved across large plains on the way to slaughter, it was easy to determine which cattle belonged to which ranch as they were branded. So, when the term was first used it was probably more closely aligned with our understanding of the word ‘trademark’ today.

Move forward to the 19th century and there was a growth in the use of packaged goods, such as flour, sugar, and beverages. Manufacturers adapted this idea and put their mark on these goods so that consumers knew which manufacturer had made what and could more easily identify their favourites. At this point, then, the ‘brand’ was more likely to refer to what we would now consider the ‘brand name’ such as Coca Cola.

Moving into the 20th Century, we started to see consumers differentiating between the brand name and the brand. The Father of Advertising, David Ogilvy actually defined brand at this point as ‘the intangible sum of a product’s attributes.” So, a brand is more than just a name, it is the perception the consumer has in their mind as to what the qualities of a particular product or service are.

What is your brand?

Taking all of this into account then, your brand is what people think about when they hear your company or product name. These thoughts could be factually based, such as it comes in a white box, or they could be emotional reactions (which we will look more closely at in later blogs). Your brand name is a fixed entity – people can see it objectively. Your brand, on the other hand, is a subjective thing that exists in people’s minds.

As you can see, it is really difficult to actually pin a definition to the term ‘brand’ these days as it is such a subjective thing. However, there are some insights into branding that we can share.

Branding Insights

#1 Your brand will mean different things to different people

Brands are dynamic and will mean different things to different people – such as your current customers, your potential customers, and your employees. Some people will connect more closely with certain aspects of your brand, while others will connect with other aspects of your brand. And like any other relationship, their connection will change over time as they hopefully grow in trust, loyalty and engagement with your brand. So, how do you help with this? Well, you need to work on identifying all of the different consumer types who are interacting with your business, working out how to reach them most successfully, and creating marketing campaigns that will help to develop their relationship with your brand. All things that the team here at Zool can help with.

#2 Your brand will develop and change over time

Many people make the mistake of thinking that the brand structure they set up when they start their business is the same brand structure they will have five, ten, fifty years down the line. This is just not the case. Take Zool for example, we have recently gone through a rebranding process just five years after starting the business, as our brand has evolved and changed as the business has changed. We needed to respond to our expansion of service offerings and shift with the times, and so our brand had to change to reflect that.

#3 Emotions are key in branding

This is such an important point to get across, and the one we will cover in more depth in later blogs, but most successful brands today are built on the emotions they stir in people. If you ask people about their favourite brands, for example, they will often talk about how that brand makes them feel.

#4 Defining the impact your brand has can help

One way of defining your brand is to define what impact it can have on other business, for example, Zool can help businesses to achieve a stronger ROI for their marketing budget. Defining your brand like this can help to show how it works and what benefits businesses would get from working with you.

Although defining your brand can be a difficult process, it is a really important exercise to undertake as it can help to drive both your business and brand forward. We recently undertook a branding workshop with our client Gentronix, for example, which you can read more about in their case study. All of their employees were involved, and now that they all have a greater understanding of their brand and what makes them different from other similar businesses, they have worked with us to develop a marketing strategy which we are hopeful will allow them to reach their full potential in the future.

So, why not talk to Zool about your brand today? We can help you define it, what it means to different people, and show the impact it has – all of which will do great things for your business.