Building brand awareness is the key to communicating brand image, but a lot of companies mix up their messages, confuse their audiences or even try and copy other brands unsuccessfully. Brand personality carrying solid values is the starting element to any brand awareness campaign or advertising strategy.
What is a brand you ask? Funnily enough to most people who have not studied or worked in marketing, a brand is the same thing as a product. Unfortunately that is a common misconception. A brand is a symbol. It represents a company, its products as well as the people who choose to buy it.
In the end a brand gives products meaning, it makes them belong.
McDonalds and Coca Cola for example are two of the most recognised and valuable brands in the world. They have achieved their brand recognition through decades of cult communications and local/global marketing tactics. Both brands have a unisex appeal which is quite rare, and despite being American, both have created a sort of 'ours' value worldwide. The only brand I can think of that has done that even more successfully is Nivea. Nivea cannot be compared in terms of worth to McDonalds or Coca Cola, but if you ask a French person where Nivea comes from, they will say France, a British person will say Britain and so on. Obviously the brand is German, yet it is portrayed in a 'national' sort of manner, which gives it a priceless appeal of belonging.
Companies need to recognise what strengths hide in their brand.
What does their brand represent? And most importantly what should it represent?
Since brands speak on behalf of companies, they need to make a statement.
They need to symbolise a company's core competencies, but create an image of awe and inspiration. They need to represent people and stand for something more than just a cheeseburger, a caramel drink or a white cream.
The sooner companies realise this, the better.
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