Brand

A particular combination of words, graphics, goals and character traits that is unique to a company, person, or entity, and provides differentiation from the competition. Over time, these points of differentiation become personal to consumers and a part of their own identities. It is more than the products or services that a company offers. The brand is the bond between the consumer and the company. A good brand will build emotional benefits and strengthen brand loyalty. It is a relationship, a conversation, a story.

Adam Morgan in Eating the Big Fish says a brand must fulfill four conditions:

• Has a buyer and a seller
• Has a differentiating name, symbol, or trademark
• Has positive or negative opinions about it in the consumers’ minds
• Is created, rather that naturally occurring