What Is Branding
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CHAPTER ONE
WHAT IS BRANDING, ANYWAY?
“[Branding is] a 15-second elevator pitch that every employee in the organization can not only get and articulate, but can talk about their role in bringing that to life.” —SCOTT M. DAVIS, MANAGING PARTNER, PROPHET CHICAGO
T
here is no concept as vital, as discussed, as mentioned, as of the moment in the world of marketing and advertising today as Branding. Everyone uses the word in every conversation, there are countless self-proclaimed experts on the subject, executives want it, account managers plan it, strategies are formulated, money is spent, advertising is done. But the fact is, very few people actually know what the word Branding really means in this context. Is it really important to put the concept into words? Everyone seems to understand Branding, even if they’re not always able to communicate their understanding in eloquent terms. They “get” Branding, even if they can’t define it as accurately as Webster’s dictionary. So, why bother to codify something that seems so pervasive? First of all, most people who “get” Branding as a concept don’t really understand what it means to create a brand and build it into a dominant market position. The majority of businesspeople do not have a strong working definition of Branding, and therefore can’t determine what is and is not a successful brand. Some confuse a brand with a product, which can be a devastating mistake with terrible consequences. Before defining Branding, it’s important to define what it is not. Branding is not simply a matter of creating the name for a company or a product
1
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A BRANDED WORLD and repeating it ad nauseam to the public until it becomes a household word. There have been plenty of brand names that have come and gone in what amounts to the blink of an eye—and advertising and marketing executives who have come and gone just as quickly,
CHAPTER ONE
WHAT IS BRANDING, ANYWAY?
“[Branding is] a 15-second elevator pitch that every employee in the organization can not only get and articulate, but can talk about their role in bringing that to life.” —SCOTT M. DAVIS, MANAGING PARTNER, PROPHET CHICAGO
T
here is no concept as vital, as discussed, as mentioned, as of the moment in the world of marketing and advertising today as Branding. Everyone uses the word in every conversation, there are countless self-proclaimed experts on the subject, executives want it, account managers plan it, strategies are formulated, money is spent, advertising is done. But the fact is, very few people actually know what the word Branding really means in this context. Is it really important to put the concept into words? Everyone seems to understand Branding, even if they’re not always able to communicate their understanding in eloquent terms. They “get” Branding, even if they can’t define it as accurately as Webster’s dictionary. So, why bother to codify something that seems so pervasive? First of all, most people who “get” Branding as a concept don’t really understand what it means to create a brand and build it into a dominant market position. The majority of businesspeople do not have a strong working definition of Branding, and therefore can’t determine what is and is not a successful brand. Some confuse a brand with a product, which can be a devastating mistake with terrible consequences. Before defining Branding, it’s important to define what it is not. Branding is not simply a matter of creating the name for a company or a product
1
10138_Levine_3p_01_k.qxd 2/3/03 12:17 PM Page 2
A BRANDED WORLD and repeating it ad nauseam to the public until it becomes a household word. There have been plenty of brand names that have come and gone in what amounts to the blink of an eye—and advertising and marketing executives who have come and gone just as quickly,