Strong corporate and personal branding is the sign of a healthy business.

A brand is:

• A symbol identifying a company

• A promise a company makes to customers (and employees, too)

• A reputation a company gains for its products or services

• A brand may represent an entire company or a specific product line.

BRAND AS A SYMBOL

As a symbol, we think of a graphic logo such as the Nike swoosh or the Mercedez Benz logo. However, this can also mean a character. Remember Tony the Tiger and his slogan for Kellog's Frosted Flakes: "They're great!" The character and what he said developed the brand of a particular product.

In Southern California, we have Jack in the Box restaurants. "Jack" is both a logo and recognizable character who stars in the commercials. He gives Jack in the Box an irreverent, funny appeal to male customers from their mid-20s to late-30s.

Watch TV commercials and you hear a recognizable pinging sound that PCs have - Intel inside.

In this case, the brand identifying symbol includes a sound as well as graphical treatment.

BRAND AS A PROMISE

Who was the loneliest repairman in the world? What company did he represent? I can still remember the Maytag commercials and the frustrated repairman who never got out on a call. The promise from Maytag to customers was the product was going to work properly and work so well that the repairman would never have to show up at your house.

BRAND AS A REPUTATION

Do you know the most powerful form of marketing? Word-of-mouth. I like a bath soap, a restaurant, a movie and I will tell others and, in turn, they will tell others and sales will build. The brand is the But a company can also develop a negative reputation whether or not it's deserved.

I like the Jack in the Box commercials. They're witty and well-written. Do I eat at Jack in the Box restaurants? Rarely. I don't think of Jack in the Box as quality food. In my opinion, the symbol and product delivered does not add up to a positive brand experience for me.

One way to see if the brand is delivering is checking sales figures and customer satisfaction against competitors.

A BRAND AND COMPANY OR PRODUCT LINE

Viacom is a media conglomerate that has a brand identity. However, are you more likely to think of the corporate parent company or a specific media holding such as MTV? In this case, Viacom is wise to promote the specific company brands of the media properties it holds.

However, think of the software that Microsoft produces. The corporate identity is almost as strong as the identity of each individual product.

A brand takes time to develop. It takes a while for a company and that's why the road can be tough for an individual consultant or professional setting out to build a brand identity.

Healthy companies care about each phase of their branding and understand the total identity and lasting benefit a positive and powerful brand package provides.