A brand is simple a symbol, product, or idea that represents the company. Generally a brand carries verbal attributes and concrete symbols such as a logo, name, or slogan. Brand recognition comes through an accumulation of experiences people have with a particular product or company. Brand recognition also comes through marketing techniques that create a relationship built on trust.

Brand marketing focuses on making the right impression on prospective consumers. A company will discover and develop different strategies to convey the right image for the company. Brand marketing will include various areas before it finally presents itself on the internet or in a magazine. There are two aspects of a good brand, a psychological aspect and the experiential aspect. The psychological aspect of a brand is the brand image. It is the symbol that is left in people's minds. For example, the Nike Swoosh symbol is a great brand. For all those that see the brand immediately recognize the Swoosh is related to the Nike Corporation. The symbol on its own has all the information and expectations people need to know. The experiential aspect of a brand is referred to as the brand experience. The brand experience is where a product, company, or service builds and establishes trust with their consumers. Going back to the Nike Swoosh, this brand is trusted by many people all over the world as one of the best shoe and exercise clothing manufacturers.

A brand is one of the most important elements in advertising. The brand on its own demonstrates what the brand owner is offering to its consumers. Good marketers have learned how to create a brand that has its own characteristics that make it special or unique. Brand recognition is acquired when a brand builds enough trust among the marketplace and it then enjoys a positive sentiment in the marketplace. Brands like Nike have achieved what is referred to as a brand franchise. Anything they slap their brand on will achieve some level of success because of the trust they have built with their consumers. Branded products and services generally demand higher prices. Consumers often select the branded products based on its reputation and quality.

Effective brand marketing comes from a process of researching the marketplace and developing an image for your company called "corporate identity". Corporate identity is the "persona" of a company. The corporate identity comes into place when the organization has achieved a corporate personality and the public feels they have a sense of ownership with the company. Marketers and designers work together to create corporate identity. The logo, symbol, and image of the company are achieved with colour palettes, typefaces, and page layouts. Creating corporate identity can take a long time as there are continual changes and approval procedures. McDonald's is a wonderful example of corporate identity. Most everyone can recognize their trademark "M" and the red and yellow colors of its packaging. McDonald's has achieved corporate identity that is distinguishable to several countries and all types of people. Having a distinguishable image will appeal to target audiences and achieve higher sales and overall customer satisfaction.

It is estimated that over 900 searches are done on internet search engines each day. Once a company has achieved effective corporate identity, the search engine users are able to find a specific product or service if your brand is presented in the search engine listings. The key elements of brand marketing include the following:

• Target market research
• Information on the needs of consumers and identifying the target audience
• Which product or service will motivate consumers to act
• Brand presentation, creating a brand that captivates an audience and gives a positive impression of the business
• Brand experience, advertising and web site construction that introduces a product to a targeted audience

A smart marketer will learn how to build a brand that makes a good impression at the right time and at the right place. A strong brand is a large asset to companies and it is achieved through various marketing strategies. Several companies focus on internet brand marketing. The internet is a valuable tool for various reasons, but it is not enough to reach the vast majority of people. It is essential to research target markets and determine several things about the consumers such as: their needs, expectations, beliefs, and language. Successful brand marketing can speak to multiple languages without changing their brand. Going back to McDonalds and Nike, both corporations are recognized throughout the world with their brand. McDonalds "M" is known all over the world and immediately people associate it with American food.

A brand carries a certain level of trust to its consumers. Some brands have achieved higher levels of success and are able to brand their spokesmen as well. Dave Thomas the founder of Wendy's was known as a brand when he was alive and represented the company. Tony the Tiger of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cereal is another spokesman that was branded in conjunction with the product. It is not always symbols and words that are associated with a product, but people too. Several pop icons have created their own brand of various products such as clothing, perfume, and even food. Oprah Winfrey is a good example of a brand. Oprah is known to millions of people and she has created a certain level of trust with her consumers that they will buy things she suggests. This level of success is achieved through various levels of how the brand owner wants the consumer to perceive the brand. The brand owner is responsible for bridging the gap between the brand image and the brand identity.

Brand marketing is a long-term strategy. Marketers build a brand through advertising, packaging, and graphics. The goal of brand marketing is to give the product and the company a personality that creates a feeling of warmth, seriousness, and imagination. A marketer will take an ordinary brand and transform it into a statement to customers. The way to do this is to give customers reasonable expectations of the brand. All the employees, representatives, and the actual product should covey this message. A good example of brand statement is AOL. AOL has a symbol for their company and they coined the phrase "you've got mail." People know what they are expecting when they sign up for internet service through AOL. The one area where they have lacked in good service is their account representatives. Several consumer reports of AOL have stated that their customer service representatives are hard to understand and there is a lengthy computer generated system you have to go through before you speak to an agent. While this is not a marketing area, it does impact the effectiveness of brand marketing. Always speak with your customer account representatives to make sure they have the true message of the brand in mind so they don't hurt your hard work at brand marketing and making a statement.

Several ways to enhance your brand is to add a tag line. For example, the popular restaurant chain, The Olive Garden uses the phrase, "when you're here, your family." Another popular phrase with brand marketing is "Like a Rock" for Chevy Trucks. The tag line is one of the most important aspects of brand marketing. A single phrase is the most important ad you will ever write. The tag line is one of the first steps you will take in building a successful brand. A good tagline is the least expensive form of advertising. Companies like Nike simply have to say "Just Do It" and everyone knows that is the Nike Corporation. If the company name, logo, and tagline all work together, they will become the ad.

The tag line will create the first impression for a company. People will remember a tag line before a company name. The problem with a tag line is when people become tired of hearing it or they no longer trust the claim of the tag line. Like any other aspects of marketing, tag lines need to be revamped with the changing times. The Coca-Cola Corporation is a great example of a company that has done several re-writes to their tag line. In the 1970's the tag line for Coca-cola was "It's the real thing." It changed several times as the decades moved forward and now it is "Can't Beat the Real Thing". The tag line needs to be included on the web site of a company as well. The tag line will make an impression on the customer each time they see it on the site.

Tag lines need to separate a company from their competitors. A tag line needs to have its own personality and help to brand the company image. Copywriters may charge a lot to create a good tag line, but if it is successful, it is worth it. A tag line and logo combination should easily leave an impression upon a customer. Think about the tag line and address the following questions:

• Do the tag line and logo focus on the audience or only the company?
• If a commercial has the tag line on it, will the audience recognize the company it belongs to?
• Can consumers easily remember the tag line?

When the tagline is being created, avoid the use of an exclamation point. While the exclamation point has worked for Yahoo, it doesn't always work. The exclamation point actually repels several consumers because they are being told by you that the company is good and they don't have a chance to figure that out for themselves.