What Is A Brand?

I always say, “Rome was not built in a day, and neither are brands.”  As a publicist, I often use the word “brand” daily when speaking to clients and prospective clients. You could say it’s a part of my jargon. But I know that many people wonder, “What exactly is a brand?”

A brand is defined as a product or service manufactured by a company, given a particular name. In today’s age I would say it is more than that. A brand is person such as an author, fashion stylist, the founder of a non-profit organization. It is also the perception that a consumer has about a particular product or service. For instance, when people think of Wal-Mart, the phrase “everyday low prices” automatically come to mind.

If you have a business, you, too, are your brand. Entrepreneurs are often the face of their company or service. Consumers are able to identify with the CEO of a company, and their story, much easier than they identify with a simple product or service offering.

In essence, a brand is like a combination plate. It consists of many components: the CEO, the product or service itself, and the perception of the consumers.

So what does your brand say about you?