Understanding the concept of branding can be a difficult task. But, in simple words, branding is a marketing strategy that helps the company shape and promote its product. Branding can help to grab a customer’s attention. The concept of branding is necessary for every product or service being provided, whether it be a small needle or a big aeroplane.
Branding helps a company transform first-time buyers into loyal users. And it also helps in turning a critic into a brand evangelist. The concept of branding is the need of the hour. It is required to make a company’s product stand out, make an impact and help a small business grow into an empire.
What Is The Concept of Branding?
Well, the concept of branding has evolved over the years. From a simple logo to flashy billboards, digital marketing has expanded beyond paper and pen. Advertising or branding a simple product guarantees success and good returns.
A product will sell if it meets the customer’s eye. No matter how much the competition is in the market, if the product can connect emotionally with consumers, it will fare better. It can give uniqueness to a simple product.
Branding alone cannot do anything and, any good brand will use the packaging concept with improvised labelling. These labels, as well as the body, will help provide facts along with additional information.
If you want to understand, what is the concept of branding? You need to understand the concepts of labelling. Branding starts with the term ‘brand,’ the packaging, and lastly, the labels.
What do you understand about the word ‘brand’?
A brand is a product offered to the customer to satisfy their needs. And these products can be present physically, or they can be in the form of services. In simple words, a packet of chips, toothpaste, needles, clothes, and other essentials are all part of the products.
Let’s understand the complexity with a simple example:
Water is in every part of the world. And, it is something we all have access to free of cost. Whether you are in India or Los Angeles, water tastes the same everywhere. It is the same colour with similar elements that are oxygen and hydrogen.
But, still, the irony is that it is commercialised. A small red water bottle with a simple tagline ‘fresh’ sells for hundred rupees. A blue one with the tagline ‘Himalayan water’ sells for thousands of bucks. Do you ever wonder, why is that?
Several companies have different names, but what is common between them? The water tastes the same and looks the same. But you would prefer one bottle over another. Why? Because you are satisfied that your choice is better than the other. And who made you believe that. That’s the power of branding, logos, and simple touches in packaging or labelling.
What is Branding?
Branding can be done to anything. It can be a name, design, symbol, or picture that distinguishes one seller’s product from its competitors. Branding can help people relate emotionally (the corn flakes that make you lose weight) or practically (corn flakes are a healthy breakfast option).
And to make something worthy of buying and selling, companies use the concept of branding. Therefore, branding is not just about the physical aspects, but branding creates feelings and a sense of attachment towards the company or its product.
A product can be copied but not a brand. Branding makes a product unique and different from others. For example, Pepsi and Coca-Cola are similar in taste, but Coca-Cola is more famous; therefore, it sells more.
Let’s make it more simple with our water example. You may find hundreds of brands of water when you enter a grocery store. Every bottle comes with different packaging, ingredients, taglines, and logos. Some bottles may be available in glass, plastic, or even tetra packs. Now, let us carefully see a few examples.
The yellow bottle tagline says – clear water
Green says – make your body refreshed
Red says – mountain water.
Purple says – more oxygen.
An older man will choose a yellow one; an athlete will likely pick the green one; a sick person will pick a red one. Why did these three people not pick the same one? In the end, the customer will buy the one that appeals to them the most. That’s how the concept of branding works. Every person is connected through emotions, not just the price or quality.
Branding helps them to choose the best from the rest. And any brand cannot achieve this just by advertising or forcing people. Branding takes years to yield results. Another thing connected to the brand is how they pack their products or what ingredients they use. It is the concept of labelling or how they package.
Packaging vs. Labelling
The packaging concept is another aspect of branding. Packaging protects an item or lures customers from outside without knowing the details. At the same time, an informed customer would prefer a detailed label. Incorporating a good labelling concept can help them make an informed decision.
Packaging and labelling can increase the value of the product. These labels help users differentiate thousands of products on the same shelf of the grocery store. And some informative labels can help in spreading awareness about certain ingredients used. Thus, a good mix of branding is always improving labels and taking care of the packaging.
Conclusion
The concept of branding has evolved over the years so our customers. They are more informed and aware of what they use, which is why branding is more crucial than ever. Branding cannot be done in one day; it is continuous. Branding helps establish a long-term relationship with the users by taking care of their needs and satisfaction.