What exactly is a brand?

What do you believe in strongly? Is your church or religion a brand? What defines a brand?

• a brand can take a long time to grow and develop
• it’s about having a consistent product
• it’s about strong advertising and marketing
• it’s important because it clearly identifies one ‘flavour’, differentiating it from similar or rival brands
• branding will become a belief system between the brand itself and the consumer
• the consumer believes in the outcome - trusts the brand to deliver
• a brand makes a unique value proposition.  A promise to deliver
• it is very important that the promise or proposition be delivered consistently at each point of customer contact, time after time. 

Consider your own or your organization’s brand.  What message does it send?  What is the public’s trust level in your brand?