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Building a powerful
e-brand
by Claudie Clot, CEO of advancis.com
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1. What is branding? (2 of 2)
A brand distinguishes a company's
offerings, transforming its products and services into augmented
products and services. Suddenly, the product becomes more than
it is (1). The yellow Ralph Lauren polo shirt becomes more than the same yellow polo shirt without the Ralph Lauren logo. Investments in brand equity also benefit companies that resell the products and services of others. For some reason, your friends will be more impressed if you offer them a bottle of Crystal champagne from Neiman Marcus than the same bottle coming from the local wine store. That reason is no accident.
People, consumers and professionals
alike, form an image of the brand based on all the messages it
sends. Hence, a company's entire communications program defines
what a particular brand represents and how it is perceived by
the audience. Through clear and constant communications, a brand
slowly acquires an identity (2). This
means everything a company does online or offline plays an important
role in building a strong brand. It includes its logo, advertising
style, communications style, web site design, etc...
The important thing to remember is that your brand will acquire
an identity whether you plan it or not. Hence, the importance
of taking control over your company's branding strategy, after
all it is your brand. As you can see brand management is not
for technology and Internet companies only.
2. Creating a
powerful e-brand (next)
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