Branding Course 101

*Definition: The marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products. An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive markets. But what exactly does "branding" mean? Simply put, your brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from that of your competitors. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be. This course has 20 chapters that should take you around 5 minutes to read but, you have to put them into practice. That's why we will had a new chapter each week so you have time to put what you learn into practice and slowly become more aware of what to do to get your brand exactly where you want it!

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Ch. 01: Expand the Brand

When you have a company that has products on the market, you have to decide if you want to expand the brand or keep it at an even level. Expanding your brand can be a delicate decision because you do not want to do any harm to your brand by expanding too quickly.

Ch. 02: Contract the Brand

Having a brand that is associated with doing one or just a few things well will help you to build a strong brand. If you want to open a business, it is okay to sell just a few items or if you want to open a restaurant focus on being great with just a few dishes. Think of all the specialty stores that are out there that specialize in selling one thing or focus on a genre. Toy stores, for example, fit into this niche.

Ch. 03: Publicity is a Good Thing

If you are looking to get a new brand off the ground, perhaps the best way to go about it is to generate as much publicity as you can. While advertising is another option, publicity is much better at getting a new product or brand going and unlike advertising, garnering publicity is a lot cheaper.

Ch. 04: Advertising the Brand

Once you have launched your brand through publicity, the next step is to keep the brand name in the minds of consumers, which is done through advertising. Advertising can be an expensive proposition, so it has to be approached carefully and with a well thought out plan. The message that you put forth through advertising is important.

Ch. 05: Be Authentic

Consumers are people, and people are guarded by nature so no matter how well you try to get your message across through advertising, consumers will naturally question some of the claims that you make. This is why the claims that you make in your advertising message have to be true and be able to be backed up.

Ch. 06: Its Not All About Quality

Having the best quality in a brand or product does not necessarily mean that is destined to be number one. There are many brands that you can point to make this point. Just because a consumer paid a lot more for their Tag Heuer watch does not mean that it will work better or tell the time more accurately than a Seiko.

Ch. 07: Category over Brand

You have already read that by specializing in a market you will be able to increase brand awareness. Now try to think even further. You should try to narrow your focus until you are able to create your own category. This has happen many times in the business world.

Ch. 08: The Importance of a Name

It might be the most important decision that you make when you bring your brand to market, what the name of the product going to be. In the long run that is what branding comes down to is the name. Having long-term stability is the most important factor of the name.

Ch. 09: Keep it Simple

Keep focused on keeping your brand special and limited. The easiest way to devastate a brand is to broaden the product line too far. More and more manufacturers are extending their product line and weakening their brands. However, not only does this weaken their brands but it takes power away from the manufacturers and gives it to retailers.

Ch. 10: Don’t be a Stuck Up Brand

If your brand gets to the point of being a leader in the marketplace, do not be afraid of other companies getting into the market to give your brand some competition. In fact, it is good for brands that are leaders in their market to welcome the competition. One of the good things about competition is that consumers like to have the ability to choose a product. McDonald’s would not be where they are today if it was not for Burger King and Wendy’s.

Ch. 11: A Second Thought on Naming

As you previously read, coming up with a name for your product is perhaps the most important decision you can make for the brand. There are some important factors to remember when you are choosing a name for you brand or product. First of all, you do not want to give your brand or product an ordinary name.

Ch. 12: Keep Brand Names and Company Names Separate

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Ch. 13: Beware of Sub-branding

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Ch. 14: Can You Ever Extend the Brand?

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Ch. 15: The Importance of the Logo

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Ch. 16: The Importance of Color

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Ch. 17: Think Globally

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Ch. 18: Branding and the Internet

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Ch. 19: Naming and the Internet

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Ch. 20: Globalism and the Internet

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Conclusion

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