A Ridiculously Simple Definition of "Brand"

If we're going to build a brand (which we are, right here in the blog!), we should know what a brand is, right? And who'd better to tell us than the American Marketing Association?

"A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distanced from those of other sellers."

Are these brands? No, no no—they are logos!

Spot on—for ancient Rome, where lamp makers began inscribing marks to differentiate their products.

Giving It All Away

Brand development is like a farm pasture—a big field with lots of bullshit.

Why? Two reasons:

First, there's no universal set of definitions. Positioning? Value proposition? Brand architecture? They mean different things to different people.

Second, anyone with enough chutzpah can proclaim himself a "branding expert."  

So it's not surprising that everyone in the business routinely accuses everyone else in the business of bullshit.