Branding = Differentiation – Why Is Brand Important?

Branding = Differentiation – Why Is Brand Important?

Markalaşma = Farklılaşma Marka Neden Önemli?

“The word “brand” came from an Ancient Norse word “Brandr” meaning O”to burn”. In 950 A.D., brand meant a burning piece of wood. And in 1300’s, it meant a “torch” which was still meaning a burning piece of a wood used as a tool.In 1500’s, it meant a marked burned on cattle when farmers used to distinguish their cattle from cattle from other ranches.”

It is obvious that the modern use of the brand was formed when cattle breeders marked their animals to prevent their herds from getting mixed up. We see that the brand is actually used as a separating element so that the products do not mix. So why is the brand so important?

“With the 1820’s mass production, products like wine started to flourish and sellers started to use the word brand to imply leaving a mark into the crates for those products and to differentiate their products with competitors. Products with better quality and high value naturally became known as a high-end products.

In 1870, it finally became possible to register a trademark, and Coca Cola facilitated this to advertise their slogan “Coca Cola Revives and Sustains”.

As radio and television were introduced in 1920’s, companies started to associate products with ideas to change human behavior. By 1960’s marketers used mass media to associate brand with emotional benefits rather than functional ones. In 1980’s companies began building brand recognition. In 1984, Apple Computer released their iconic “1984” TV ad. With the rise of internet and social media, today’s consumers want to participate in branding rather than just consume. Apple has become one of very few irreplaceable brand and one of the most iconic brand of this day. Nike is another example than consumers feel strong emotional connection. Brand is not just a logo or a trademark anymore but it its an emotional connection and the whole experience that a consumer engage in throughout any possible interaction that could happen between a company and the consumer. With the rise of internet, such emotional connection sometimes created by the norm and trends. Review and rate system has made it no necessary to directly experience a product.”  Citation and Referencing: https://medium.com/re-write/brand-2ac9e133223a

The brand will distinguish you from your competitors, make you remember and be recognized. Brand is an element that adds value to the product, and Branding will add an image to you. Another important element here is the importance of the product in branding and its ability to differentiate you from others. Imagine your symbol, logo and brand as your premiere. Along with these, the image that the brand creates in the mind, your brand personality and your target audience are your real impressions. Your brand will be evaluated as a whole with these, and while the sense of trust for the consumer will be provided, brand permanence will also be ensured.

Even if finding a good and memorable name can be a really challenging process, starting with a good name will be invaluable. Creating a visual identity will be considered a successful start for the brand. If visual identities are built entirely on personal tastes, they are likely to fail. Here it is very important to create a brand and brand image with the right people. Advertising has many tasks such as providing brand awareness, adding image to the brand, competing, changing the wrong impressions about the brand, increasing the awareness of the brand and its products.