What Is Branding?

Branding is the process of assigning characteristics and properties within and outside an offering
to give that generic offering an identity which helps it to be recognised and differentiated in the
market.

Three points that should be noted in this definition of branding are –

 Assigning characteristics and properties within and outside an offering: Even though
the characteristics and properties are offering-specific, they are not limited to within the
offering. A Facebook post by the company represents the brand as well.
 To give an identity: The main purpose of branding is to give an identity to the generic
product. The identity is very much human-like; with a name, voice, tonality, colour, and
sometimes even sound.
 To help it be recognised and differentiated: Another role of branding is to be unique. A
unique branding results in the product being more recognised and differentiated in the
pool of competition.
Importance Of Branding

Brand is the sum total of how someone perceives a particular organisation. Branding is shaping
that perception. – Ashley Freidlin, CEO & Founder of Guild
One should not ignore the importance of branding. It has become a necessity for products,
organisations, and even humans today. There’s no dearth of offerings with similar properties and
the only thing that separates the particular offering from the competition in such a case is the
brand.

Branding the offering should be a priority before the launch of the product in the market as it
helps to:

 Create an identity for the offering: Branding is what the product is known for besides
the generic properties. It is the unique name, colour, design, and even the psychological
experience that makes the product identifiable in the market.
 Create consumer preference towards the offering: The market is full of offerings with
the same properties which often confuse the consumer to what he should buy. A way
through which consumers can confront this problem is through leaning towards such
brands which they know and trust. Popular brands are known to be safer investments as
compared to the risky ones and they provide consumer satisfaction for the utility it
provides them.
 Create a new asset and build value: A brand in itself is an asset that can be sold
separately. Wonder why Apple products cost twice as much as the competition which
sells the product with the same configuration? It’s the brand effect.
 Build trust: Branding an offering results in the professional appearance of the offering. It
includes well-strategised labels and packaging according to the legal requirements and
the planned positioning. This increases its appeal as consumers trust offerings with a
professional outlook.
  Improves pride and satisfaction: Branding the company or the offering improves the
pride and satisfaction of both the customers as well as the employees. It personifies the
company and its offerings and helps everyone who associates with it to create a deeper
connection with the brand.
 Develop marketing strategies: Marketing strategies without a brand will be nothing but
futile as there will be nothing to identify the offering with. Branding is a core part of
marketing as all of the marketing strategies have their roots in branding.
Elements Of Branding

Branding isn’t limited to just name and logo. It is a combination of characteristics and properties
which have an effect on almost all of our senses to result in a uniform experience every time we
have contact with it.

Branding is made up of innumerable elements few of which are –

 Name: The name which we use to identify the product with.

 Logo: A symbol or other design adopted by the business to identify its brand.
 Colour: A colour mostly used by the business in its marketing messages to describe or
complement the brand.
 Vision: The group of goals or objective behind the brand that help guide its activities and
its future.
 Message: the value proposition of the brand which it conveys through the brand
personality to set the brand positioning.
 Shape: Either the distinct shape of the offering or the shape of the packaging.
 Aroma: The distinct smell which the user experiences before, during, or after he uses the
offering.
 Graphics: The uniform and distinct aesthetics used in the marketing messages.
 Sound: The sound used in the marketing messages to reinforce the brand identity.
Types Of Branding

Branding isn’t limited to products. Today we witness the branding of organisations, products,
services, places, and even people. Here are 4 types of brandings one should know about –

Product Branding

Product branding is one of the most common types of branding where the offering is given an
identity and a personality to make it identifiable and differentiable in the market. Even though it
is called product branding, it isn’t limited to just products. Product branding refers to the
branding of any offering be it product or service.

An example of product branding could be Mountain Dew. Mountain Dew has its own name,
colour, voice, and personality. One can recognise the brand even when the generic product is not
even there.
Another example of product branding when it comes to services is Game of Thrones. Similar to
tangible branded products, this TV show has its own identity, characteristics, and properties
which differentiates it from others.

Personal Branding

Personal branding is very common among politicians, celebrities, athletes and other people who
have niche followership. This type of branding makes it easier for these people to create an
image for themselves among their followers. This brand image not only helps them in creating
new business opportunities for themselves but also benefits the brand associated with them.

Michael Jordan is a perfect example of personal branding who, because of his niche
followership, was not only able to benefit himself by launching his own apparel line but also
benefited Nike which partnered with him to launch the same.

Corporate Branding

Branding the organisation is as important as branding the offering it’s selling. Corporate
branding gives an identity to the offering provider and opens new opportunities for him to extend
his offerings portfolio easily.

Corporate branding is also of vital importance when it comes to hiring as employees always
desire to work with a company with a known brand.

PepsiCo is a good example of corporate branding. The company has several products lines in
its product mix including Frito-Lay, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Lay’s, Gatorade,
Tropicana, etc. all of which are owned and operated by the parent brand- PepsiCo.

Geographical Branding

Geographical or regional branding is often used by the tourism industry who create a brand out
of a geographical location by assigning it certain characteristics and experience to attract more
visitors.

For example, Hawaii is being marketed as the perfect destination to visit if you want to go to
beautiful islands lined with beaches of warm, white sand and verdant, lush flora. The state is also
marketed as the only place to experience Hawaiian cuisine, Hawaiian art, and the Native
Hawaiian religion.