What is a Brand? Definition of a Brand

Brand Definition
Tebboub Abdelamelk, Professor, Algeria, Member
A brand is the identity of a specific product, service, or business. A brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol, color combination or slogan. History of brand: historically the word 'brand' was first used as a way to tell one person's cattle from another by means of a hot iron stamp. A legally protected brand name is called a trademark. The word brand has continued to evolve to encompass brand identity - it affects the personality of a product, company or service.
A brand personality identifies a product, service or company (name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or combination of them) and how it relates to key constituencies: customers, employees, partners, owners, investors etc. Some people distinguish the psychological aspect, brand associations like thoughts, feelings, perceptions, images, experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and so on that become linked to the brand, of a brand from the experiential aspect.

What Exactly is a Brand?
Debbie Dosoo, United Kingdom, Member
A brand can be simply defined as any product/service/company that can be identified by the public/market.
In can take the form of a logo, sign, sound, colour or anything that the company uses to diffentiate itself from its competitors.
Brands are normally associated with perceptions, feelings, beliefs etc...

What is a Brand?
Shiela Lumsden, Consultant, United Kingdom, Member
I agree the identity is a key set of elements relating to the brand, but there is also the brand image and the ambition or vision for the brand:
- The image is what the brand means in the minds of audiences - by researching the image we can understand where the brand is currently. The identity elements are what create the image - all our experiences with a brand create the image in our minds. So it includes the products themselves and how well they work, the customer service, as well as the design styling and stories that are communicated in promoting the brand.
- When we want to create or direct the brand we need to understand where we need to go in relation to our vision for the brand and the competitive market. This is where positioning comes in. When it's decided where the brand is to sit in the market within its competitors, then we can consider the gap between the current image and where we want to be and adjust the brand identity elements to help us to achieve the vision/objective.

Changing a Brand is Hard
Bashir, Project Manager, Sudan, Member
What has been imaged in the mind of the public by a brand is very difficult to change, especially with a developing business environment. For example many International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) started as relief specialized, and hence their names carry what they do. Then things changed and these INGOs have to do other, different work as well which should be reflected in their brands. But can they neglect the history and develop a new name to associate with their brand, or shall they remain with the old brand name and forget about the new added products!?

Brand is Trust and Value
Mohammed Sharik, Manager, India, Member
A Brand is something which is directly related to TRUST of customer. It is how we represent the product, services etc. and its VALUE to the customer. Any brand which values the customers and their requirements makes a hit combination. Such combination could be the need for comfort or luxury with time, value and best service on time.