Branded a success?

Gap. Starbucks. Microsoft. Apple. Heinz. Orange. Ford.

After reading that we’re willing to wager a chocolate Hobnob that you’ve got at least one logo flashing through your brain right now. We’re even willing to risk a second biccie on the fact that as well as a visual image you also – albeit briefly – pondered your perception of that company. And that – assuming your thoughts were vaguely positive – is the magic of branding. Sort of.

Of course, it’s a bit more complex than that in reality, but in basic terms that’s what branding’s about – creating a warm and positive feeling about a brand, and conjuring up a personality for it in people’s minds.

Take Ben & Jerry’s for example, if you’re at all familiar with the ice-cream brand, not only will you now probably be thinking of your favorite flavour, but also how your image of the brand in general. And the chances are those thoughts include a mental snap-shot of the eponymous pudding producers and a vague – or possibly not so vague – sense that they’re a couple of nice guys who are probably quite laid back. (OK, if you’re lactose intolerant or on a January diet, your thoughts may be a tad different, but you get the idea.)

But how did that image get into your head? Well, it’s down to their branding. In other words, if you thought of a couple of nice guys making ice-cream, that’s because that’s what they’ve worked hard to make you think.

That’s because branding isn’t just the about the visual aspects – like the logo – of a product. It’s about the perceived image that people have of the brand. And that’s what needs to be planned out and established as part of the brand development. It’s about more than making people think about your company, it’s about how you want them to think about it.

Confusing? A little, yes, after all the word branding is bandied around a lot these days and is often used as a cover all word to refer to everything from advertising to PR. But to be effective branding has to happen far earlier in proceedings, in other words it’s not your marketing, it’s what drives your marketing. And that’s why it needs thought, planning and careful consideration. It’s not enough, just to have people talking about you – you need them to be saying good things when they do.