What's in a Brand? How effective branding can help your business prosper

摘要

The English word brand originally meant a hot, burning stick. By the Middle Ages it came to be known as a mark burned on an animal's hide to indicate ownership. That tradition continued in the American West, as ranchers burned their own distinctive brands onto their cattle so they could graze freely before being separated at roundup time. From there, one can easily see how the word evolved and was appropriated by the advertising industry in the 20th century to mean a trademark or distinctive name identifying a product or manufacturer. These days, a brand is much more than that. A brand is "the sum total of all the images that people have in their heads about a particular company and a particular mark," according to marketing consultant Scott Bedbury. Others in the business call a brand a "badge of identity" or "a promise of value."