Let’s first understand what a brand is. Seth Godin defines it as, “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”

Branding goes beyond just giving the company a face-lift with a brand new logo and design. It is to define the heart and soul of the company. A brand is not owned by the company, but by the customers who draw meaning to it. If your customer doesn’t keep coming back, vouch for your brand or recommend it to others, that means he doesn’t find value in your brand. In other words, your brand doesn’t exist for that consumer. Habit-forming brands are the ones who sustain. Creating value for the customer is what will make your company a brand.

It is therefore not just the physical features that create a brand but also the feelings that consumers develop towards the company or its product. The design elements of the brand are just memory joggers. The combination of physical and emotional cues is triggered when the customer is exposed to the name, the logo, the visual identity, or the message communicated.

A product can be easily copied by other players in a market, but a brand will always be unique. For example, Pepsi and Coca-Cola taste very similar, however for some reason, some people feel more connected to Coca-Cola, others to Pepsi.

Customers no longer buy brands, they join them. Therefore, your brand isn't what you say it is, it is what they say it is.

Want to build a brand? Cultivate a community of people with shared values, interests and passions.