Brand
Do you feel something when you hear the name of the company or a product?
Your brand is not what you say it is. It’s what they say it is. Brand is the customers' gut feelings about your company.
When you start a company, it has no brand. But you as a person have. If you are known as trustworthy and a fast worker, that's your brand. You have earned secondary meaning.
Your company has a strong brand when people can tell who made the product from the distance, without seeing the logo. You can tell that it's Harley Davidson just from the sound of it.
Promise
Brand is a promise. Promise of quality or experience customers expect from you. When you make a promise, you must keep it. Don’t violate trust. No trust, no trade. Be the most trustworthy company in your field!
Not for everyone
Good brands recognize that not everyone is their customer. Not everyone needs to like or understand you. Only the people who might buy your product. Good brands are selective and sometimes hard to reach.
We want status
We express ourselves with what we buy. Brand can support our personality. We want belonging. People like us wear clothes like this, or drive cars like this. We like that brand is noticed by others. That makes us happier.
Design won't help
Nice logo or cool ads won't help if the brand sucks. Looking good is not enough. If brand feels boring, you can't redesign it fresh. Brand stands for something, because the work stands for something. And the company name or a logo is associated with that. If the brand is strong, then the logo is important. We recognize brand from the logo.
Position
You need to have a great product (or service). Your product is your best ad. But almost all products are generic. It’s naive to think your products is very unique.
You need to be specific and very clear what you do. If you stand same as all others, you stand for nothing. It's more important to be different than better.
Why should I buy this and not the cheap one? Does it promise something different? You need to say that out loud. Not just think that way.
You know you have a strong brand, when people pay premium for it. Even better, when they tell their friends about your product.