A brand is the identity of a company. Before a company can even begin to figure out a brand, it has to decide what message it wants to convey. A brand will communicate to consumers, and they will come to identify with that brand.

Wal-Mart’s brand is all about economy. Their message is “Come to us for inexpensive products.” They promote that message in everything they do.

A company’ brand may begin as something, but later evolve based on consumer perceptions. This is why many larger companies re-evaluate their brand every so often. Mazda asked customers what they thought of when they thought of Mazda, and most of them identified Mazda with their sports vehicles, the Miata, the RX-7, etc. So Mazda took advantage of that perception and altered their brand to one of sportiness. Hence, we are no inundated with Mazda’s tagline “Zoom zoom.” It doesn’t say anything, but they want customers to think of speed and sportiness. The design of all of their newer vehicles now reflect that sporty image.

So what do you want consumers to identify your company with? It may be quality products, it may be luxury, it may be a meaningful experience. A brand can be built on just about anything, as long as it appeals to your target consumer. Think about what identity you want your company to have before you do anything else in the branding process. Ideally this could also include doing it before you even choose a name for your company. However, very few small companies will think about branding at all until they are “in business.”

Brent Allan is a branding and marketing expert who specializes in unconventional methods. He has over a decade of experience in marketing and branding, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. He is the editor for BizWarrior Online and Beneath the Brand Blogs. When he isn’t pontificating about business, he juggles, does magic, and eats fire. What a dork.

Article Tags: brand | Mazda | Message | wal-mart
Filed under: Branding