When do you become a Brand

[Chris Ashdown]

Many on the forum want to become a new brand

A new company name that has repeat customers could be called a brand and at the other end you have things like levi or the top fashion houses

So when would you consider you have become a brand?

 

[kev598]

I think it is a very diverse topic. But my opinion, as you pointed out that when people are associating some product or service with the name of your brand that's when your company isn't just producing, but it is popular and demanding among clients. Also, if you are building some innovative product or service, it's also can be a good way to build a brand.

 

[Ian J]

So when would you consider you have become a brand?

Factoring Solutions has been trading for nearly 19 years and I still don't consider it be a brand.

A factoring company made a promotional video with one of their clients that I had introduced to them and when asked the question of how he met the factor replied "I was introduced to them by a bloke on the internet"

That put me in my place

 

[Mr D]

Many on the forum want to become a new brand

A new company name that has repeat customers could be called a brand and at the other end you have things like levi or the top fashion houses

So when would you consider you have become a brand?

When you get onto the Apprentice and call yourself a brand.
Like Stuart Baggs did a few years back.

 

[TODonnell]

I suppose you become a brand when your logo becomes a fashion item [shrugs]

i.e. what you're selling is so attractive and popular it becomes an icon that people want to add to their business, website or person.

 

[Noah]

We are a brand - from day 1. We produce a commodity product, and branding is essential to distinguish.

Among other reasons, that's why I'm anonymous!

 

[Gecko001]

When your product gets talked about in terms of branding, then it probably means that you are doing something wrong.

For example Formula One used to be thought of as a great Motor Sport - by those who follow that sort of thing anyway. Commentators referred to it in terms of the great racing drivers, the manufacturers of the cars and the famous circuits. In recent years you hear commentators mention the "Formula One brand" and how to improve it etc. If they thought less about the brand and more about what to do to turn it into a motorsport that people wanted to watch and participate in, then perhaps maybe it would improve its image.

 

[Ginger Egg]

Great question. Initially, It is all about becoming synonymous with a product or service.

If the company becomes recognised in their industry, and trusted because of the values and standards associated with that business, it can call itself a brand.

 

[Mark T Jones]

When people only challenge your prices when you drop them

 

[obscure]

You become a brand the moment you decide on the name and/or logo of your business. Whether that brand goes on to be successful or not is a different matter.

 

[shumicps]

To understand whether or not I have become brand, I will consider this first: If I asked a thousand random people in my target market for a definition of my company or product, even if one out of a thousand can define my product then I can feel like at least on some level I am a brand. So, a company or product become brand when most of your market knows who you are. If more than half of your target market draws a blank when they are asked about you, you’d be better off referring to yourself as company that has a lot more marketing to do.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

When you get onto the Apprentice and call yourself a brand.
Like Stuart Baggs did a few years back.

I was reading about the sad loss of this young lad . A terrible thing to happen

 

[mattk]

I'd say a you become a brand when people know what you do just from your name.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

It's funny that you can be a popular brand in one field like fashion and then be accepted in another for say watches that they dont actually make themselves but people buy in preferance to the makers owl lines
Strange things Brands and their power

 

[anadalia]

I think it's quite hard to become a brand. It depends on your targeted audience, catchy logo... You become a brand when everyone knows who you are, so you need a lot of exposure.

 

[Ian J]

It's funny that you can be a popular brand in one field like fashion and then be accepted in another for say watches that they dont actually make themselves but people buy in preferance to the makers owl lines
Strange things Brands and their power

Gucci watches are a good example as most of the £800 that one pays is for the name on it

 

[AllUpHere]

You can think of brand as simply the personality and qualities of the business. Every business has a brand in some way (sometimes good, sometimes bad).

Logos, colours etc are branding; a method companies use to get us to associate the qualities of their business with a particular thing we see or hear.

 

[Gecko001]

I used to design logos as a hobby and to bring in a little money during lean spells in my main business, which is far removed from graphic design incidentally. I do not do it any more but I now pass a critical eye over many logos I see on vans, TV, online and the high street etc.

The number of very bad logos I see nowadays makes me believe that often people should forget about getting a logo altogether. When I say logo I mean a symbol and not just a wordmark (a word in a particular font and colour)

Most large retailers only have a wordmark in their branding. They get along quite well without having a logo. Please note there is a debate about logos and whether or not a wordmark is a proper logo or not. It demands skill to chose a font and colour for a wordmark but I think most graphic designers and clients commissioning logos do not regard wordmarks as logos in the sense that they require particular artistic skills to produce.

 

[Robin Hewitt]

Easy if you are specialised. After 20 years I am known all over the planet, I have even been used as a verb

 

[DontAsk]

Gucci watches are a good example as most of the £800 that one pays is for the name on it

Bottled water is another one. Buy supermarket own brand for the cost of bottling, transportation and small markup or a "premium brand" that adds...what?

 

[Ian J]

Bottled water is another one.

Especially if it's sold by Coca Cola who were caught out selling tap water at hugely inflated prices

 

[Mitch3473]

When you get onto the Apprentice and call yourself a brand.
Like Stuart Baggs did a few years back.

Or just after you announce to the world you are an entrepeneur

 

[Mr D]

Or just after you announce to the world you are an entrepeneur

Some entrepreneurs never do announce that.