The Term Brand Is Not What You Think It Is
Understand what true branding is and what it is not.
I work as an AI data labeller in the automotive industry. But my goal is to become a professional Front-end web developer.
I have been a student of branding and brand strategy for a few months now, so I want to share with you what I have learned so far. My best teacher about branding who shaped my concept is Marty Neumeier, (author of The Brand Gap). So in this post, I want to explain from that concept, what the term brand means in simple terms.
But first.
What a brand is not
Let's start with what he says a brand isn't. In his book, The Brand Gap, Marty Neumeier states that the term brand is not a logo, an identity, or even a product.
Many people think when they design a logo, boom! That is it! They now have a brand. But Logos, identities, illustrations, and all those little prints are visual elements (or visual identities) of a company or product. They are the elements you see and sometimes touch.
What brand is
"A brand is a person's gut feeling about a product, service, or organization," says Marty Neumeier. The gut feeling here is the reputation a company or an organization has out there in the world.
With that definition, a brand is not what you or anyone in your business or organization says it is. You don't describe it. It is what happens inside the heads of other people. It's not visual, but emotional.
What do people who use your product or service say about you? What is the feeling they get when they come in contact with the product you offer? What is the first thing that comes to their minds when they see it?
Answers to these questions define your brand.
All of that stems from everything that companies or organizations do. The product design, brand messaging, and interactions with customers/clients all affect the lives of people out there. What is the impression all of that creates on people?
Apple as an example
Why is Apple such an irresistible brand out there? They take their designs extremely seriously. They do not just want to design, they want the design to invoke a certain feeling when you experience it.
And when I say design I'm not just talking about the visual elements but their messaging, consistent use of colours, design patterns like the rounded corners on their product, smooth user interface, etc.
When you hold their product in your hand, you get a feeling. That gut feeling is the brand.
You don't tell people what your brand is. People have to tell you what it is. They feel your brand in their soul.
All that you are thinking about yourself or your business as your brand is a false mental picture. What people are thinking and saying is the real picture.
That is it.
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