A brand: What is it? What it means? How do you get one?

We help clients define, visualize, discuss and promote their brands. But lately "brand" seems to be a common nomenclature in main-stream media. A headline on msn.com "Top 10 Reliable Brands" peaked our interest. However, after clicking, we discovered the article focused on the top 10 automotive brands – not exactly the universal ranking we were expecting.

Brand is hard to define – seven different definitions for the word exist on dictionary.com.

Our definition of a brand is the tangibles and intangibles of a company, product, or service - your name, look, messaging, perceptions, customer service, storefront, web site, etc. "Brand" captures the essence of every element that makes up who you are in the marketplace. That's why it's important to focus on your brand and make it what you want it to be. You may need to change perceptions if needed, but stay focused to enable your success.