the b words...

Branding Selecting and blending tangible and intangible attributes to differentiate the product, service or company in compelling and differentiated way.

     Internal Branding Developing consistent behaviors
     that govern employee and customer interactions and
     reinforce a brand’s position

Brand Architecture How the brands within a portfolio relate to each other and the corporate brand.

     The most familiar types of brand architecture systems
     are:

         Single where the corporate name is used on all
         products and services offered by the company.
         Think IBM, Bank of America, Coach

         Endorsed where all sub-brands are linked to the
         corporate brand by means of either a verbal or
         visual endorsement. Think Virgin, FedX, Ralph
         Lauren

         House of Brands where the corporate brand is
         subjugated in favor of the individual brands . Think
         LVMH, Proctor & Gamble, Pfizer

         The common terms used to refer to a parent
         company and the brands in its portfolio are:

         Masterbrand A brand name that dominates all
         products or services in a range or across a
         business. Think…Procter & Gamble, Ralph
         Lauren, Ford Motor Company.

         Sub-brand A product or service brand that had
         its own name and visual identity to differentiate it
         from the parent brand. Think…Duracell (a Sub-
         brand of Procter & Gamble), Polo (a sub-brand of
         Ralph Lauren),  Mustang (a sub-brand of Ford
         Motor Company)

Brand Associations The perceptions and emotions that customers have about a brand.

Brand Equity The value of your brand in the marketplace

Brand Essence The core philosophy of your business. The most powerful brand essences are rooted in a fundamental customer need and are achievable by the organization.

Brand Experience The emotional response resulting from the interactions a customer has with a brand. Strong brands arise from consistent experiences which combine to form a distinctive overall brand experience.

Brand Identity The outward expression of the brand, including its name and visual appearance. The brand's identity is its fundamental means of customer recognition and association and symbolizes the brand's differentiation from competitors.

     Visual Identity What a brand looks like - including 
     its logo, typography, packaging and marketing
     materials.

Brand Personality The attribution of human personality traits (seriousness, warmth, imagination, etc.) to a brand as a way to govern the tone of voice of all external facing communication and employee interactions.

Brand Positioning The distinctive position of a brand in its competitive environment to ensure that individuals in its target market can tell the brand apart from others.

Brand Strategy A plan for the systematic development of a brand to enable it to meet its agreed objectives. The strategy should be rooted in the brand's vision and driven by the principles of differentiation and sustained consumer appeal. The brand strategy should influence the total operation of a business to ensure consistent brand behaviors and brand experiences.