Sustainable Brands Start with Thinking About the Word Brand as a Noun

Several instances over the past few weeks have provided me with the feeling that it is time to get back to some basic thinking about terms like brands, branding, social media and sustainability. Because of the way that many organizations and people apply those concepts, many others consider those buzz words and don't think they have relevance to their organization. I completely understand that thinking. Too often organizations limit their thinking and execution of concepts like branding to short-term, tactical approaches like advertising, mottos, taglines and other traditional marketing channels. They think too soon about the word brand as a verb.

Let us start by thinking about the term brand as a noun. Let us think about our brand as our name and what that name stands for. Once we understand our purpose and our guiding principles, then we can think about the word brand as a verb. The actions that we take to help others understand what our brand stands for and to make it memorable. I think it is also critical for us to think about using the word brand first, and then the term branding. I define branding as the process by which we align our internal culture with our external reputation. Branding is guided by our mission and our core values. Once we understand that, then we can decide how best to use social media or other traditional channels to execute our brand strategy.

When we take these critical first steps our brand strategy has a better chance to be sustainable. We also have a much better chance of recruiting and retaining the right brand champions. 

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

Comments

[David Sandusky]

Good stuff and on brand as usual.

I think the understanding of brand is much larger than grammar. I have noticed that the definition confusion or debate is largely between agency or past agency folks, marketing and PR disciplines, Marcom, writers who have never managed a brand or worked with a brand manager. Great brand managers don't say/write branding...the simply don't.

People who live the brand like a Richard Branson and those I was fortunate to learn about brand from understand the brand they represent and are raising (like a kid or puppy). They consider positioning, marketing (overall communicating) and most important the delivery/ results of the brand.

When you raise a precious brand, you don't take the brand branding.

I have been watching the #branding hashtag on twitter...everyone means something else. Although many people get benefit and learn from smart people, it should not be used.

[Rex Whisman]

David, great insight as always. Your perspective and experience is a welcome part of the world of brand, and of course the brand champions blog!