Product Decisions

Branding

Branding involves decisions that establish an identity for a product with the goal of distinguishing it from competitors’ offerings.  In markets where competition is fierce and where customers may select from among many competitive products, creating an identity through branding is essential.  It is particularly important in helping position the product (see discussion of product position) in the minds of the product’s target market.

While consumer products companies have long recognized the value of branding, it has only been within the last 10-15 years that organizations selling component products in the business-to-business market have begun to focus on brand building strategies.  The most well-known company to brand components is Intel with its now famous “Intel Inside” slogan.  Intel’s success has led many other b-to-b companies and even non-profits to incorporate branding within their overall marketing strategy.

Brand Names and Brand Marks

At a very basic level branding is achieved through the use of unique brand names and brand marks.  The brand name, which may be either the individual product name or a name applied to a group or family of products, is important for many reasons including suggesting what the product is or does (e.g., Mop-and-Glow).  The name is also what we utter when we discuss the product (i.e., word-of-mouth marketing).  The brand mark is a design element, such as a symbol (e.g., Nike swoosh ), logo (e.g., Yahoo! graphic), a character (e.g., Keebler elves) or even a sound (e.g., Intel inside sound), that provides visual or auditory recognition for the product.