Really, What is a Brand?

Branding can be confusing and difficult, but it is the most important part of a company! Keep reading to get help navigating what a brand is and how to advertise for your brand.

 

Brands vs Logos and Taglines

Most of the time when someone thinks about a brand, they think about the company’s logo or tagline. However, the logo and tagline job is simply part of a brand — it isn’t the brand itself. A brand is who the company is as a whole. It is the promise the company makes to its consumers. The logos and taglines are still important, but its job is to express what the brand is to the customer. It is the messenger, not the message. 

For example, let’s take a look at Apple. Apple’s bitten into apple logo is iconic. What does it mean and how does it relate to the brand? The obvious part is that it is an apple representing a company named apple, but it does go deeper than that. When Adam and Eve bit into the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge, many associate the fruit with an apple. So, Apple’s logo being an apple with a bite taken out of it refers back to the knowledge Adam and Eve gained that day. Part of Apple’s branding is about knowledge and learning. Apple’s tagline is “think different” referring to creativity and uniqueness. In Apple’s earlier years, they used a version of the logo which had multiple colors in the apple. The colors represented Apple’s encouragement of being creative and different from everyone else. 

 

Target Audiences for Brands

It is important to reach the right audience for your product, company, and brand. If you are reaching out to a massive general group, you are most likely wasting money and time because they might not even care about what you have to offer. You have to target your audience. Figure out what type of person would want to buy your product or service, why they would want to buy from you, and most importantly, why they would continue to buy from you. 

Brand loyal audiences are one of the most powerful groups. They believe in your company wholeheartedly. They will consistently pick you over your competitors without any second-guessing. They love you. They love you so much they will then tell others about you, which, in turn, will get you more (hopefully brand loyal) customers. 

Let’s take a quick look at Coca-Cola as an example. Coke’s brand is represented by happiness in a bottle. Coke is people-oriented, bright, and joyful. Many people have great memories such as going on a picnic with their significant other and their beverage was coke. Now they are married for 50 years and they still drink Coke. They then raise their children drinking Coke who will only drink Coke Floats with their friends. This group of people would always pick Coke instead of Pepsi every time they are given a choice even if they don’t fully realize the meaning behind them picking Coke instead. Coke has the emotional appeal that Pepsi does not have. 

 

Advertising Your Brand

One of the main things to remember when advertising your brand is authenticity. Do not try to market your company as something you aren’t. The audience will find out eventually, and your brand will no longer be trusted. It is better to just market as who you truly are. With the method of authenticity, the brand loyal audience will grow and stick with you. 

For this example, I want to look back at Apple and its 1984 SuperBowl commercial where everyone is following each other doing as they are told until a woman runs in destroying the expectation of identicality. Apple uses this commercial to show that its brand is different from the rest. It encourages knowledge and creativity. It is who Apple is at its core. It advertises not only the Macintosh, but it advertises Apple’s identity. It advertises to audiences who relate the vision of being unique. Apple wants you to know it is different from everyone else and so are you, hence the “think different” tagline. 

As you can see, branding can be complex. It isn’t simply a logo, tagline, or commercial — those are just vehicles in which the brand can be communicated. A brand is who the company is. A brand then needs to have the right audience and advertise to them while still holding on to the whole message of the brand. Every detail of a brand is extremely important. Chase Computer Services has a brand of friendship. We take our relationships with clients seriously and want to help as much as we can. So, if you are struggling with your brand and communicating it properly, don’t hesitate to contact us at Chase Computer Services or email us at connect@chasecomputerservices.com. We can help with all your branding needs!