What is a brand and what does it mean to have a brand?
We are aware of the confusion that often exists between the very definition of a brand and what a strong, recognizable brand means.
Every day, we meet entrepreneurs who think that a brand is just a logo or a company name. In reality, a brand is much more than that: it’s the set of perceptions, emotions and expectations that people associate with an organization or a product.
By brand, we refer to a company’s overall personality and identity, as presented to the public. To have a brand is to have a clear and distinctive identity in the marketplace, enabling you to stand out from the competition and create a bond with your customers.
Brand definition
From our point of view, a brand is the sum of all the tangible and intangible elements that make up a company’s image.
It’s not just a trademark or a graphic symbol; a brand is the overall perception that customers and the public have of a company.
In other words, it’s what the company and its products represent in people’s minds.
Think of big names like Apple or Nike: they evoke not just a logo, but a whole universe of values, qualities and emotions. When we say that a brand is a personality, we mean that every interaction, from the tone of an e-mail to the layout of a store, helps define who you are as a brand.
To define a brand is to understand that it is a living entity in the public’s perception, built by the coherence of the messages, values and experiences proposed.
The meaning of branding
Similarly, owning a brand means possessing a recognizable and distinctive identity that transcends the specific products or services offered. In our experience, this means that when someone comes into contact with your company, they immediately perceive a unique personality and set of values.
Having a solid brand means having a consolidated reputation: customers know what to expect from you, they feel trust and familiarity. For example, if you think of a small craft business with a well-defined brand, customers don’t just buy the object created, they buy into the story and values the company embodies.
To be a brand, then, is to be the guarantor of a promise to the public – a promise of quality, style and value – which must be respected in every aspect of the business. In short, to own a brand is to have a strong, consistent presence in consumers’ minds, something that keeps them coming back because they recognize themselves in what you offer and how you offer it.
The importance of branding in the modern marketplace
We live in an age when competition is fiercer than ever, both in B2C and B2B. Every day, consumers are bombarded with offers and information, thanks in particular to the omnipresence of the Internet and social networks.
In this context, the brand is of fundamental strategic importance. Our experience shows that a strong brand is a competitive advantage that sets a company apart from the market.
Today’s customers are not as loyal as they used to be: they are better known, compare alternatives more easily and are less inclined to remain loyal to a single supplier. Investing in your brand means investing in an intangible but valuable asset, capable of influencing purchasing decisions, inspiring trust and building a solid reputation over time.
Whether you work with consumer products or services for other companies, one thing is certain: a well-positioned, authoritative brand conveys trust, credibility and quality– decisive elements in convincing the public to choose us over their competitors.
Brand as a competitive advantage
One of the aspects we emphasize most often is that a strong brand represents much more than just a name on a product: it’s a sustainable competitive advantage. In today’s saturated global market, a recognizable, well-differentiated brand means you can compete on more than just price or technical features.
For example, technology companies like Apple have built a valuable ecosystem around their brand, enabling them to keep prices high, as customers perceive added value in terms of design, user experience and status.
In all sectors, from fashion to B2B manufacturing, the brand offers differentiating elements that a competitor will find hard to copy: its history, its corporate culture, its emotional relationship with the customer.
This type of competitive advantage, rooted in identity and reputation, is difficult to erode in the short term and constitutes a barrier to market entry.
Confidence and recognition in the modern marketplace
Trust is another crucial factor explaining the importance of a brand. Customers tend to prefer brands they trust and recognize easily.
Let’s take the example of choosing a supplier: if we recognize the name and have already had positive experiences with that brand, we’ll be much more inclined to choose it again.
In the modern marketplace, where consumer attention is labile, being recognizable at first glance is a major asset.
A brand with a strong visual identity and a consistent presence on all relevant channels (from search engines to social networks) remains etched in the public’s mind. This notoriety also confers an impression of stability and authority: a visible, consistent brand communicates the company’s solidity and reliability.
What’s more, a strong reputation reduces the effort needed to acquire new customers, as many have already heard of you and associate your name with a positive image.
Ultimately, trust and recognition go hand in hand to create the foundations for lasting customer relationships. A brand well anchored in the minds of customers can translate into loyalty (loyalty over time) and even enable the company to overcome moments of crisis, by being able to count on the support of a community of supporters.
How to build a solid brand
Creating a strong, sustainable brand from A to Z is a journey that requires strategy, creativity and a great deal of consistency. Over the course of our careers, we’ve learned that building a brand isn’t just about designing a beautiful logo or choosing a catchy name: it’s a thorough, multidisciplinary process that develops over time.
It’s essential to start with a clear vision and in-depth knowledge of your target audience and market. It’s essential to strategically define your brand identity, defining the values, mission and style that will guide every communication choice.
Only once these foundations have been laid do we move on to visual elements (such as logo, colors, design) and brand communication across all channels. In short, building a strong brand means creating a coherent system where every detail – from product to customer service, from website to advertising – tells the same story and reinforces the company’s identity.
So let’s take a look at the key ingredients and fundamental steps for developing a successful brand.
Brand strategy and identity definition
The first step in building a solid brand is to define a clear strategy . In practical terms, this means asking a few fundamental questions: Who are we? What market needs do we wish to meet? What are our values and mission?
The result is the brand’s positioning, i.e. the unique idea you wish to convey to your audience. Personally, we attach great importance to this initial strategic phase, as it lays the foundations for all future choices.
Once the core values and key message have been clarified, you can move on to defining the identity: brand name, slogan, color palette, typography, visual style and tone.
All these elements need to be chosen in harmony with each other, to reflect the brand personality derived from the strategy. For example, if your brand wants to communicate innovation and simplicity, you’ll opt for a minimalist design, modern colors and clear language.
The key at this stage is to ensure that brand strategy and brand identity travel together, so that visual and verbal identity are a natural expression of the underlying strategy.
Consistency at every point of contact
Once your brand has been defined, the next challenge is to keep it consistent and recognizable in every experience you offer your customers. We find that a common mistake is to create a nice brand identity manual without rigorously applying it on a daily basis.
Consistency means that every point of contact with the public – from your website to your Instagram profile, from your product packaging to your electronic signature – must reflect your brand’s values and style.
Not only the graphic aspects, but also your communication and service must be in line with your brand promise. For example, if your brand positions itself as highly customer-oriented, you’ll need to guarantee impeccable, attentive customer service, because actual experience confirms the image you’re conveying.
In our experience, customer experience is the most important test: a strong brand delivers on its promises.
If you’ve communicated quality craftsmanship and attention to detail, the product should reflect these characteristics. This consistency builds trust: customers know they can count on you, and every positive interaction reinforces the brand’s identity in their minds.
Effective communication and storytelling
Finally, a strong brand must be able to communicate effectively through captivating storytelling. Brand communication isn’t just about promoting products, it’s about telling a story that everyone can relate to.
We like to think of branding as an ongoing narrative: every piece of content we create, whether it’s a post on social networks or the “About” page of a website, must contribute to building the brand’s story.
Authentic storytelling highlights a company’s values and vision, revealing its human side. For example, sharing the origins of the company, the challenges it has overcome and the people who make it up helps create an emotional bond with the audience.
In addition to storytelling, it’s essential to adopt an appropriate and consistent tone across all channels, as this is an integral part of brand personality. Investing in content marketing, social networking and other forms of communication in line with brand values will boost brand awareness and engage your audience.
In short, building a strong brand also involves the ability to deliver your message in a consistent and exciting way, so that customers don’t just buy a product, but feel part of a larger story.
Who can you turn to to build your brand?
At this point, the question arises: if I don’t have all the skills in-house, who can I turn to to develop my brand? We’re often asked what’s the best way to get professional branding support.
In reality, there are several players who can help a company develop its brand identity. The choice depends on specific needs, budget and level of support required.
Generally speaking, there are two main options: use a specialized agency or call on independent consultants and professionals.
Large international companies often have in-house teams dedicated to branding, but for many SMEs, calling in external experts is the most effective solution. Fortunately, specialized agencies and consultants offer different but complementary approaches.
Branding and communications agencies
Branding agencies (or communications agencies offering branding services) are often the first choice for those who want full support in building their brand.
These agencies have a multi-disciplinary team covering all aspects of branding: market research, positioning strategy, logo and visual identity creation, tone definition, right through to planning communication campaigns.
One of the main advantages of using an agency is that you can count on an integrated approach: each element of the brand is developed in synergy, guaranteeing consistency and quality.
The agency also brings a wealth of experience, acquired on a variety of projects and in a variety of sectors, enabling it to propose innovative ideas and tailor-made solutions.
Of course, all this comes at a cost: the services of a structured agency may require a significant investment, but often represent a real investment in the brand’s future. To create a brand that’s solid in every way, calling on the services of a branding agency can make the difference between an amateur result and a professional one.
Consultants and independent professionals
Another option is to call in branding consultants or other specialized professionals, such as freelance marketing experts, independent designers or brand strategists. In this case, instead of an organized team, you work closely with one or more dedicated experts.
Choosing a consultant can be advantageous, especially if you’re looking for a more direct and flexible relationship. For example, a branding consultant can help you define your identity and positioning, working hand-in-hand with you to extract the unique essence of your business.
Consultants often have extensive experience in specific sectors or market niches, enabling them to offer highly targeted analyses. What’s more, the consultant option can be more cost-effective than a large agency, modulating interventions according to budget.
It’s worth pointing out, however, that working with independent professionals requires coordination: you may need several contributors (for example, a strategist for positioning and a graphic designer for the logo), and you’ll need to ensure that everyone works in harmony to maintain brand consistency.
In short, using consultants allows for a tailored and often highly personalized approach, provided you choose people you can trust and who are able to communicate with each other to cover all areas of branding.
The main elements that identify a brand
When we think about what makes a brand instantly recognizable, certain key elements that define its identity come to mind. Indeed, a brand manifests itself through specific signs and characteristics that remain engraved in the public mind.
Key elements of a brand include its name and visual identity (such as the logo and corporate colors ), the values and mission that guide its choices, and the tone of its communications.
Each of these aspects contributes to building a strong, consistent brand identity. Our experience has shown us that successful companies meticulously care for all these elements, ensuring that they harmoniously convey the brand’s personality.
Together, these elements constitute the brand’s public personality. Brand image – that is, the public’s overall perception of a company – arises precisely from the coherent whole of name, symbols, messages and values that the brand communicates over time.
Name and visual identity
A brand’s name and visual identity are often the first things the public notices. The name should be memorable, distinctive and, if possible, evocative of what the company stands for. Think of names like Amazon or Tesla: short, incisive and meaningful.
At the same time, visual identity includes all the graphic elements that identify the brand: the logo, but also the color palette, the typographic font, the style of images and the design of communication media. These visual elements constitute the brand’s “face”, making it instantly recognizable.
From our point of view, investing in professional, consistent design is essential, as a rough logo or inconsistent graphic choices can weaken brand perception.
Conversely, a well-defined visual identity, consistently applied to the website, packaging, social networks and all channels, reinforces the brand’s presence in consumers’ minds.
In short, the name and visual identity work together to ensure immediate recognition and aesthetic consistency for the brand.
Brand values and mission
If the logo is the face of the brand, its values and mission are its beating heart. A brand’s values represent the principles and ideals in which the company firmly believes: innovation, sustainable development, customer focus, tradition of craftsmanship, and so on.
The mission, on the other hand, is a statement of the company’s ultimate goal , its raison d’être and what it intends to change or improve in the world. For example, Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy, a principle that inspires all its activities.
When we define a brand with a customer, we place great emphasis on clarity of values and mission, as these are the elements that guide every strategic and communication choice.
A brand with strong values is able to create a deeper bond with its audience: people identify with the causes or principles it embodies. What’s more, values and mission serve as the company’s internal compass, guiding decisions and ensuring team cohesion.
Communicating your values in a coherent way (for example, through storytelling and concrete initiatives) allows your brand to appear authentic and trustworthy, essential qualities today for standing out in a crowded marketplace.
Tone of voice and personality
An often underestimated but fundamental element is tone of voice, or the way a brand “speaks” to its audience. Tone of voice is an integral part of a brand’s personality: some adopt a familiar, friendly tone, others favor a professional, formal style, and still others favor irony or creativity.
This communication register must reflect the brand’s values and positioning . For example, a brand aimed at young people might use informal language, rich in pop references, while a B2B company in the financial sector is likely to adopt a more institutional, expert tone.
In our business, we often help our customers define tone-of-voice guidelines, because it’s crucial that communication is consistent across all channels: from website to email, from social media posts to customer service. A well-defined tone of voice makes the brand recognizable by its words, not just its logo.
What’s more, it helps create an emotional bond with the public: a brand that communicates with authenticity and a distinctive style manages to make itself feel more human and closer to people.
In conclusion, taking care of the tone of voice and communicative personality means giving the brand a soul, completing the picture of its identity with visual elements and values.
What makes one brand better than another?
At the end of this journey, one crucial question remains: what distinguishes one brand from another? In the course of our work, we have closely observed how two brands in the same sector, offering similar products, can have very different market destinies.
The difference, we believe, lies in certain distinctive traits that characterize the most successful brands. Consistency and authenticity are among these factors: a brand that remains true to its values and identity over time builds a solid reputation.
Another fundamental element is clear, distinctive positioning : the best brands have succeeded in creating a unique place for themselves in the minds of consumers, becoming synonymous with a specific brand.
Finally, recognition and the ability to create a bond with the public enable a brand to be preferred and remembered over its competitors.
Consistency and authenticity
Consistency and authenticity are inseparable from a brand’s success. A consistent brand maintains the uniformity of its messages, behaviors and experiences, without betraying the expectations it has created among its audience.
This long-term consistency ensures that customers always know what to expect, thus fostering trust and loyalty. Authenticity, meanwhile, is the quality of being genuine and transparent: an authentic brand doesn’t try to be something it isn’t, but remains true to its history and values, even in the face of passing fashions.
In our experience, brands that combine consistency and authenticity succeed in creating a strong emotional bond with their customers. Take the example of historic brands like Patagonia in the outdoor sector: they have built up a solid reputation over time precisely because their actions (such as their environmental commitment) faithfully reflect their stated values.
A consistent, authentic brand communicates credibility and integrity, making it more attractive to consumers, who feel they can trust it without fear.
Clear, distinctive positioning
For the same quality and product characteristics, a clear and distinctive positioning can make the difference between a leading brand and an unknown one. By positioning, we mean the unique place a brand occupies in customers’ minds, and the precise reason why they choose it.
An effectively positioned brand clearly identifies what makes it unique. It may be a technological innovation, a particular style, a competitive price combined with good quality, or a focus on a well-defined audience segment: whatever the element, the brand builds its entire communication around this asset.
Well-articulated positioning acts like a compass : it helps you decide what to do and what to avoid, which messages to put forward and which channels to favor.
For example, if your asset is ecological sustainability, this value will guide the company’s storytelling, product choices and even partnerships. The best brands are those that occupy a specific “mental niche”: when you think about them, the attribute or advantage that sets them apart immediately comes to mind. This makes it much easier to stand out from the competition and build a strong brand identity.
Ultimately, distinctive positioning contributes greatly to a brand’s superiority over its competitors, as it gives it a clear direction and a reason for the customer to prefer it.
Recognition and connection with the public
Finally, a quality brand is distinguished by its high level of brand awareness and its ability to create a strong bond with its audience. This notoriety is based in part on the identity elements mentioned above (logo, name, visual style, tone) applied consistently over time: the more a brand is present in people’s lives, the more familiar and immediately identifiable it becomes.
But brand awareness alone is not enough if it’s not accompanied by a genuine emotional bond. What makes a brand truly unique is when customers develop a sense of belonging, almost as if they were part of a community.
Think, for example, of Harley-Davidson fans who feel like members of an extended family, or Apple customers who look forward to every new launch and talk about it with passion.
In these situations, the brand is no longer just a company, but a symbol with which people identify, and through which they express a part of themselves. The best brands invest heavily in developing relationships with their customers.
They listen to their customers’ feedback, mobilize their community (notably via social networks, events or loyalty programs) and constantly offer added value.
This leads to strong customer loyalty: not only do customers keep coming back, but they themselves become spontaneous brand ambassadors, recommending the brand to friends and colleagues. When a brand achieves this level of connection, it becomes extremely difficult for competitors to dethrone it in the hearts of consumers. The combination of high brand awareness and deep public loyalty is perhaps the most important secret of a brand that stands out from the crowd.
