Brand Means Reputation

In keeping with simplicity, I prefer to define the concept of a brand using just one word: reputation. I find this definition inclusive, extending beyond the traditional business or corporate definitions that are pervasive online and everywhere else.

To be clear, a brand is not "solely" a corporate business entity, offering a product or service.

To define a brand in that way is to minimize its scope. Reputation, on the other hand, gives us the context we all need to understand the meaning of what a brand is at its roots. This is important for anyone who is at the beginning stages of their brand-building journey. It forces them to think about the time component aspect of what they are building.

What do you do? What have you done repeatedly? What do you often say and how? How do you present yourself? The answers to these questions establish your reputation and essentially define your brand.

In other words, your reputation is the public perception of actions, behaviors, and values over time. When we talk about brand in the broadest sense, we are referring to the cumulative impression that these actions and values leave on an audience.

For example,

If your brand promise is to deliver exceptional customer service, you must actually provide exceptional customer service. Your audience will determine if what you claim to do is truly what you do. No number of billboards, social media ads, or commercials will alter that. When it comes to establishing your brand, experiences hold more weight than marketing.

I have a question. What comes to mind when you think about the DMV? I know the answer, and it's not because I'm reading your mind. It's because the DMV has a reputation that was built over time.

Now, let's say the DMV hires a creative branding and design agency to do no more than change its logo, typefaces, and color palette. Let's say this new DMV brand identity is posted all over social media, featured on blogs, talked about in the news, and shown on billboards.

I'm sure this would be nice and even get a lot of people excited, but it would do little to change the DMV's reputation. That would require intentions, actions, experiences, and time.

Thinking about a brand in the context of reputation forces us to look beyond the surface. Every brand should have a core promise and should consistently work to fulfill that promise in every possible way. It's not just about what a brand says, because actions speak louder than words. To succeed as a brand in the future, you must keep your promise, and be known for doing so.