Brand vs. Product or Service

For many organizations the products or services they provide are confused with their name, which can lead to many thinking that the product or service is the brand. There are the classic cases such as Xerox and FedEx. Today while reading the September 2008 issue of Fast Company magazine I was reminded of this challenge.

Fast Company shares a great interview with Timberland CEO, Jeff Swartz. In the interview Schwartz said the distinction between brand and product came to light when the hip-hop world started losing interest in his products, and sales rapidly dropped. Schwartz says, "We are not a boot company, we are a brand, and our brand is not about protection against the elements; our brand is about confidently striding through life's challenges." That is a great insight for this socially responsible company.

Even many of the world's most successful brands periodically need to be reminded of what their name stands for and realign their core values with their products or services. Is your organization's identity limited to your products or services?