How to build a strong brand

Building a strong brand entails creating a cool brand name, advertising that brand to potential buyers, and enforcing brand message consistency in all customer interactions along with clever marketing strategies that promote the brand identity.

However, conventional wisdom might not be right all the time. Brand marketing can neither create nor build nor strengthen a brand. A brand is always a reflection of the quality of the product. There are no exceptions to this rule.

To understand why this is the case, it is first necessary to define “brand.” Most people think a brand consists of exterior elements: the brand name, the logo, the tag line, and cool colors.

To think of a brand in this way is a mistake that should not be made.

The essence of a brand is not the exterior elements, but how you feel about the product or service. The customer is king. Period.

The purpose of the brand elements is not to create those feelings, but to remind you of them. If your feelings about the product are negative, those brand elements simply remind you of how much you dislike the product.

Your brand is like a bank account. When you delight customers, it adds value to the brand. If you have a string of great products, customers will forget the occasional flop. Amazon is a case in point.

Similarly, when you irritate customers, it extracts value from the brand, and eventually, you end up overdrawn and even if you change your ways and come out with some great products, it may take years, if ever, for customers to forget the taint.

The only way to build a strong brand is to create and sell products/services that delight your customers.

If you fail at this basic step, brand marketing is not just a waste of money, but actively counterproductive.

Therefore, if you want to build a strong brand, put your time and money into creating and selling the best product or service possible. Then, if you’ve got some leftover, use brand marketing to help spread the word.