Brand

A brand is the set of perceptions, memories, and expectations that people associate with a company, product, or service. It encompasses the name, logo, design, messaging, and the overall experience of interacting with the offering. A brand acts as a mental shortcut that can influence consumer choices, trust, and loyalty in competitive markets.

Brand identity consists of intentional elements created by an organization, such as the brand name, logo, tagline, color palette, typography, voice, and design systems. Brand image, by contrast, reflects how consumers actually perceive the brand, which may align with or diverge from the intended identity. The distinction between identity and image is central to branding practice.

Brand strategy covers how a brand positions itself in the market, targets specific audiences, communicates a value proposition, and shapes personality and promises across products and channels. Brand architecture describes the relationships among a company’s brands and sub-brands, such as whether to use a corporate brand as an umbrella or to emphasize product-level brands.

Brand equity refers to the value of a brand as perceived by consumers, manifested in awareness, associations, perceived quality, loyalty, and willingness to pay a premium. Brands build equity through consistent, relevant experiences over time. Measurement methods include brand tracking, surveys, brand lift studies, and social listening.

Brand management is the ongoing practice of developing and protecting the brand, ensuring consistency across touchpoints, and adapting to market changes, including rebranding or brand extensions when appropriate.

Brands operate within dynamic markets and may involve legal protections like trademarks. Effective branding balances global consistency with local adaptation to address differing consumer needs and cultural contexts.