Brand marketing refers to the process of companies differentiating themselves from their competitors by the use of certain distinguishing characteristics that are unique to them. This set of characteristics is known as a brand, and it is often the defining image that a company uses to distinguish itself in the marketplace and to consumers. The brand of a company can be anything from its name to its logo to even a specific slogan that is used throughout all of its products and services. It is crucial for companies to be consistent with their brand marketing efforts so that consumers can always recognize the brand no matter what the specific promotion or campaign may be.
In the modern world of marketing, it can be difficult to stand out amongst the clutter. There are seemingly limitless companies even in only a single industry. Adding to that confusion, there are now endless avenues by which marketers may promote their wares. With all of this to overcome, it is crucial for marketers to separate from the rest of the pack. Brand marketing is one of the most effective techniques to achieve this difficult goal.
Many different ways exist for marketers to establish a particular brand. Something as simple as the name of the company may be a brand. Depending upon the situation, brands may also established by a certain catch-phrase used in advertisements, a specific color scheme employed in all marketing efforts, or even a spokesman who appears consistently as the marketing face of a company. Brand marketing must provide something that immediately establishes identity to a customer.
Effective brand marketing should have other goals that it sets out to accomplish. When a consumer sees a brand, it will represent a set of past experiences a consumer has had with the company and also establish expectations about what that consumer can hope to receive. In that way, a brand is a kind of promise to the consumer, and the company's service and products should then deliver on that promise.
There are some pitfalls that can befall some poorly-planned brand marketing strategies. If a brand becomes too diluted and is associated with things that stray too far from the company's strengths, it could conceivably break the promise that it is meant to fulfill. In addition, once brands are established, marketers should go to great lengths to assure that they are displayed prominently and consistently in all marketing campaigns. Doing this assures companies of receiving immediate recognition from consumers.
