Branding and Your Best Bud

Do you understand branding as well as your dog?

The other day I was tossing around the old tennis ball with Clever Dog. Every time I threw the ball, he’d gallop off to fetch it. POUNCE! Then he’d bring it right back and drop it at my feet. “More Ogre Daddy!” he seemed to say. This went on for several minutes. Then I gave the ball to a different but equally capable ball thrower. THROW! Clever Dog looked at New Ogre and then at me. He then went to a shady spot next to the building to lie down.

Even though New Ogre and I threw the ball in basically the same way, Clever Dog preferred to fetch it only when I threw it. He picked Brand Daddy over Brand New. This is an example of brand loyalty. Clever Dog and I have a history. He knows that I’ll throw the ball, he can bring it back, and I’ll throw it again. I provide a product that he likes and, even though New Ogre could provide the same basic product, Clever Dog comes back to me. As long as I do what he expects, and I don’t let him down, then he’ll buy my ball throwing every time I’m selling.

A brand is much more than just a name and a logo. It is delivering a quality product or service, the same way, every time. Your brand is everything about your company. Everything about your company is your brand. Consider any company that has had negative publicity for whatever reason. The product that they were selling didn’t change, but due to the negative publicity that they received, their brand was tarnished. Once a brand image has been built it requires constant attention. The deliverable provided by the company must consistently be what the customer or client is looking for. If not, the brand is soiled and no one likes a dirty brand.