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5 MYTHSABOUTBRANDING

People constantly use theterm “branding,” and it isoften misunderstood orconfused with advertising. Here are 5 myths about branding that are not true.

1. A BRAND IS A COMPANY’S NAME AND LOGO.______________________________________________________________

A logo and name mean nothing by itself. The logo and name are just

representations of the brand as a whole. The entire brand experience, a

collection of touch points and experiences, is what makes a brand. Effective

brand management requires paying attention to every interaction a brand has

with its stakeholders.

2. BRANDING IS ONLY FOR BIG COMPANIES WHO SELLCONSUMER GOODS.______________________________________________________________

Brands are important for any company that wants to create unmatched

differentiation and give consumers a reason to buy other than price or features.

IBM, Intel, Oracle, and Cisco are all B2B brands ranked in the world’s top 20 most

valuable brands, according to Interbrand’s 2013 rankings. These brands have

intangible assets of “goodwill” that drive billions of dollars in value and market

capitalization. None of them have miraculously differentiated products – it’s the

brand that drives the value.

3. PEOPLE DON’T CARE ABOUT B2B BRANDS.______________________________________________________________

Regardless of whether you are marketing B2B or B2C, you are marketing B2P,

business to people. The decision-makers for B2B products may be in a different

context with different needs and values, but they are still people, and people

want to make the easy, safe, and right choice. Brands help rise above the clutter

and provide a clearer choice.

4. WE ARE IN CONTROL OF OUR BRAND.______________________________________________________________

The truth of the matter is that no matter what you do to control your brand,

consumers still largely shape your brand. Take for example, Nutella. They had

nothing to do with the creation of World Nutella Day, a holiday started by a

zealous fan. This is an example of consumers positively contributing to your

brand, but consumers can just as easily be a negative influence.

5. BRANDING IS TOO EXPENSIVE.______________________________________________________________

Branding isn’t a matter of multi-million dollar campaigns. It’s a matter of controlling

the brand experience and being mindful of how your brand is portrayed at every

touch point. It’s everything from the way your employees feel about your brand, to

the way your customer service hotline treats customers, to the way that sales reps

talk about your brand. Improving your brand could just be a matter of doing the

same things you’re already doing a little bit better.

ABOUT PARKERWHITE BRAND INTERACTIVE

We position, build, and grow health, wellness, and active lifestyle brands to create

positive changes in businesses and people’s lives.

LIFE@PARKERWHITE.COM (760) 783-2020PARKERWHITE.COM

PARKERWHITE.COM #HEALTHYBRANDING