The first in a series of short explanatory guides on brands and brand-building that I intend to share. This document lays out the fundamental differences between products and brands to help us understand brands better. It also explains the basic building blocks of what constitutes a brand strategy.

1. What makes brands?
A series of guides on building brands
by Geeta Sundaram

2. These days, too much time is spent discussing brand valuation, brand purpose and brand IP. And too little
time and attention is focused on actually building brands.
I would like to focus on building brands, because that is what builds businesses. And this is the first of
several such documents, where I will share my thoughts on brand-building.
In the following pages, we will walk through what are brands and what goes into creating them.

3. Brands are nothing but relationships that customers have with products and services
that they use, and therefore also with the companies that make them.
These are expressed in the form of
- Perceptions
- Beliefs
- Experience
- Identification
- Customer loyalty
As you can see, brands take time to build. There is also a progression
in the journey from perceptions to customer loyalty.
What are brands?

4. How are brands different from products?
Product Brand
A physical object/service with certain
attributes/features
An intangible that has attributes and
attitude
Provides a rational benefit Provides rational and emotional benefits
Has a finite life Is enduring
Can be replicated Is differentiated and unique
As we can see, brands are products +. The + or the value-added is what builds a brand.

5. When does a product become a brand?
Evidently from the previous slide, when the following conditions are met:
- When a product acquires an attitude and a personality, aside from attributes/ features
- When it provides emotional benefits in addition to rational ones
- When it can endure, because it has endeared itself to the customer
- When it is differentiated, not just in product features, but in the brand benefit.
In other words, products become brands through advertising and brand communications,
sustained over several years.

6. Coca-Cola - The taste that
refreshes
Pepsi - The taste preferred by
the new generation
Johnnie Walker - The Scotch Whisky
that inspires you (to keep walking)
Chivas Regal - The Scotch Whisky
that is the spirit of chivalry
Nike - The shoes (gear) that
makes you challenge yourself
Adidas – The shoes (gear) that
is the very spirit of sport
Product and Brand - Some Examples
The difference between products and brands is best illustrated through examples of almost identical products
but with very distinct brand positioning.

7. Product to Brand Journey
For a physical object or service to make the long journey to becoming a brand, it requires:
- A clearly differentiated brand benefit that combines rational as well as emotional benefits
- A clear target customer/consumer who the product must address
- A distinctive personality and tone that matches the benefit and delivers it
As you can see, the product to brand journey is what we call brand strategy

8. In the product to brand journey, a brand strategy is the route map that provides
direction to reach the destination that we wish to reach.
The key elements of a brand strategy are:
- Target customer/consumer
- Understanding the competition
- How we can differentiate our product/brand
- How we want customers to think of our brand (brand positioning)
- The brand benefit to help them think of our brand in the desired/intended way (brand promise)
Brand positioning and brand promise are the most important elements of a
brand strategy
Brand strategy

9. Brand positioning: We then articulate how we want our consumer to think of our product/brand. This is
brand positioning and it requires not just analytical thinking and clarity, but imagination and vision as
well, because it requires thinking about the future destination.
Brand promise: Once we are clear on brand positioning, we articulate the brand promise/benefit that
will deliver that positioning. The brand promise that will make consumers think of our brand in the way
that we want them to.
After understanding the target consumer/customer for our product, and the competition, we identify areas
for possible differentiation.
Brand Positioning and Brand Promise

10. Brand Journey Explained
Brand positioning:
How we want our consumer to
think of our product/brand.
Brand promise:
The brand promise/benefit that will help
consumers believe the positioning.
Point A Point B

11. If brand positioning is the future destination point and brand promise is the benefit that will help us reach
there, brand values are the core principles that will guide our journey.
Very often brand values get confused with brand strategy and positioning. They are not the same.
Brand values are the most important beliefs that drive the brand to be what it is. They are an important part
of a brand’s architecture, the very bedrock or foundation of it. And they play an even greater role in
corporate brands.
Brand Values

12. Finally, One Enduring Distinction
Products are what people use to solve a particular need.
Brands are what people identify with and relate to,
because they play a role in our lives.