Is it all about the brand???

We had interesting discussion a few days back when we were talking about brand development and someone said: “it’s all about the brand!!” another person said “Yes!!” a couple said “No!!” and I said the always diplomatic and never wrong “it depends”…

Brands are a representation of different variables in people’s minds, so it is all about the brand. But a brand does not appear by act of magic, you need to build it and then let people know about it. So branding is not about just advertisement either, it is about all the process that makes your product or service come alive.

The Business Week web site shows how Lexus is losing ground to BMW and Mercedes in the US due to quality problems and an aggressive pricing strategy, which reflects how the perception of the Lexus brand is changing in the US.

So I think that a brand will reflect the work of the people in the organisation, and as Seth Godin says it will have to say a story that is remarkable enough so other people talk about it to their friends. Take a look at this interesting web site to find out what is in people's minds when they see a brand.