5 minute read
What Makes a Brand?
Branding is changing. What was once viewed as “nice-to-have” is fast becoming mission-critical not only to businesses but also to governments, NGOs and international organizations. A well-defined brand can cut through product homogenization and connect with consumers on a personal level, making it the key distinguishing factor between one company and the next. Having a strong personal brand is also increasingly important to a wide variety of career paths and can help cement an individual’s identity.
We asked AUP community members who work with or study branding to share their personal perspectives on what makes a brand. Their answers show the extent to which approaches are evolving, as consumers begin demanding more from the companies they engage with and brands take on new roles in identity formation, value setting and social responsibility – becoming, in the process, a vital global force for change.
Professor Waddick Doyle, Director of the MSc in Strategic Brand Management
“Branding used to be about products. Now it has become the center of any management and organizational process. In the SBM program, we look at how brands can be used to transform organizations and change the way they work. Branding is about structuring experiences and habits and about designing identities. It’s also a tool for internal organization and can be vital for allowing employees to participate in the aims and values of their organization. It’s also important to note that branding doesn’t just exist in national contexts; it’s at the center of the world economy in the post-Covid era.”
Andre Gray, alumnus and Chief Creative Officer of Annex88
“Brands aren’t things you can touch or feel; instead, we understand them like what we understand the most: people. There’s such an inundation of messaging right now that it often pushes brands to think that they need to speak more often. But if you understand that brands are people, it puts you in a different frame of mind. If people don’t trust your brand, they aren’t going to advocate for it. And there’s nothing that builds trust more than another human being saying something good about your brand.”
Daisy Hoops, current master’s student, MSc in Strategic Brand Management
“For me, brands are only as strong as their values. Given the oversaturation of products on the market right now, connecting with people on an emotional level is the best way to stand out from the crowd. Part of this process involves individual reflection – a process of personal branding that helps you discover who you are and what values are most important to you. The best brands out there are run by people who really know themselves. If you’re able to connect with someone on that human level, you’re doing an amazing job.”
Professor Michael Behnke, AUP faculty member, Founder of Belly Button brand consultancy
“Traditionally, branding was managed by the brand owner themselves. Today, brands are built by multifaceted stakeholder communities, including by consumers. Social media has had a huge impact on branding, as it has given consumers a voice that can be heard everywhere. Branding has become more challenging as brands now need to be seen as being active in sustainability or social justice, for example. There needs to be a sense of ‘doing good.’ That’s a paradigm shift. In the past, marketing activity was driven by continuously making better things. Now brands need to be seen as making things better.”
Tobias Lord ’03, Brand Director at BAUSELE
“For me, brands are about trust and transparency. A product does something, but a brand enables a sentiment, reassuring you and connecting with you on an emotional level. Strong brands are ones with which people build affinities. Today, brand purpose is everything; to succeed in branding, you need to tap into emotional triggers in a way that feels simple and authentic. Consumers are all marketing-savvy, and the trust that takes years to establish can be destroyed in minutes with a disingenuous faux pas.”
Darcee Caron G’13, Director of AUP’s Center for Academic, Career and Experiential Advising (ACE)
“The first thing that comes to my mind is personal branding. I love to support students and colleagues as they define and work towards their personal and professional goals. For me, the best personal brands are hyper-focused on unique value propositions. Every person has a particular set of skills, experiences, personality traits and educational achievements. That unique combination is what sets us apart from one another. People who are able to articulate this are generally great advocates for themselves and are the most successful in achieving their goals.”
