I've changed my mind, make that three people (excluding me). William Shakespeare's little-known work on branding contains a line that should be as famous as "Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this sale in stores". So what did Willie say about branding? I'll save you the trip to the library; "Branding is not love that alters when it alteration finds". OK, so that's more about affinity, but who am I to correct the bard of brands?
The next two people I would like to quote are Leo Burnett and David Ogilvy. I can't remember what Leo Burnett said about branding, but I love his quote; "It seems axiomatic that you have to make a friend before you can make a sale". Or something to that effect.
That brings us to David Ogilvy. And before you exclaim "what's a nice man like that doing in an article like this", please allow me to explain. If you follow Mr Ogilvy's career, it's amazing how he adapted his work over time. That's what made him unique - he was prepared to learn. He even admitted that his early work conflicted with what he discovered later in his career. How he got into advertising I'll never know. So, without further ado:
A Brand is a complex symbol. It is the intangible sum of a product's attributes, its name, packaging, and price, its history, reputation, and the way it's advertised. A Brand is also defined by consumers' impressions of the people who use it, as well as their own experience.
David Ogilvy
I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier and, although I always use David's quote when presenting to clients (status by association), I need something a little simpler. And I truly hope I have simplified your life. So, without further ado, I bid you adieu with ...
A brand is whatever people think and feel it is.
Sid
