what is a brand 
to marketing professionals a brand is a product or a business that has a distinct identity in the perception of consumers the brand is created through elements of design packaging and advertising that as a whole distinguish the product from its competitors the product contributes to the brand equity of the company that produces it a successfully executed brand provides enormous value to a company giving it a competitive edge over others in the same industry as such many companies seek legal protection for their brands by obtaining trademarks candra huff investopediaunderstanding brandsa brand is an intangible asset made up of many elements together these elements help consumers identify a product and give them reasons to buy it rather than its competitors the brand may convey a message that the product is more effective easier to use better tasting cheaper classier hipper or more environmentally sound than its competitors this is most challenging of course when the product is essentially identical to cheaper competitors advil for example is a brand name for ibuprofen through effective advertising and packaging its parent company attempts to convince consumers that advil s ibuprofen is a better choice than the cheaper generic versions of ibuprofen that sit next to it on pharmacy shelves a product s logos and slogans are elements of its brand and are designed to support a product s brand identity allstate s slogan you re in good hands with allstate was introduced in the 1950s it suggests that its insurance customers can count on it being reliable and competent when they need its help its commercials reinforce the message other slogans are harder to translate but nevertheless become an intrinsic part of a brand s identity since the 1930s the slogan for kellogg s rice krispies has been snap crackle pop it says that the product adds a pleasing noise to your breakfast but also evokes images of the cheery elves that serve as the cereal s commercial spokesmen successful marketing keeps a company s brand front and center in people s minds at least at the moment of decision making that s why the brand is considered to be one of a company s most valuable and important assets it carries tremendous monetary value affecting both the bottom line and for public companies shareholder value a company can become inseparable from its brand coca cola the soft drink is synonymous with coca cola itself even though the company now owns schweppes dr pepper and hi c among hundreds of other brands newer brands face a great deal more urgency in establishing themselves with consumers findstack estimates that a product s website has precisely 0 5 of a millisecond to convince a consumer to stay or go trademarks identify exclusive ownership of a brand and its associated marketing tools registering trademarks prevents others from using substantially identical products or services without permission special considerationsin the age of reality television and social media a person can be a brand the kardashian family members developed brand value after gaining popularity from their long running reality show collectively and as individuals they have used their name to successfully launch media and modeling careers spinoff shows cosmetics perfumes and clothing lines history of brandsthe concept of branding may go as far back as 2000 b c when merchants began considering how they could sell their wares more effectively merchants in ancient babylon developed sales pitches to lure in customers craftsmen branded or carved symbols on their merchandise to indicate their origin tavern owners hung attractive signs outside 1the word branding for product marketing might have come into use in the 19th century when western cattle ranchers started using hot irons to mark their livestock with the ranch s initials or a symbol their initial purpose was less marketing than protection from cattle rustlers but the association stuck branding as mass marketing took off in the 19th century as sellers of products like flour began thinking about ways to distinguish themselves from their competitors 2today s consumers buy brands that reflect their values a total of 53 in one survey said that they prefer brands that get involved in at least one social issue that isn t related to the business 3types of brandsthe type of brand used depends on the entity using it the following are some of the most common forms of brands companies might choose to create a master brand identity the virgin group founded by richard branson includes hotels telecommunications and airlines but all sub brands carry the master brand identity creating a brand