Brand is the name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies a product. A brand in its fundamental nature is more than just an attractive Logo, an appealing tagline and is a collection of awareness about an organization that generates good relationship, encourages potential, promotes vision and portraits a sense of exclusivity. It is what people collectively say, feel, and think about the organization.
In short, it is a position, an identity, and a good will which should send out a message that creates dynamic fallout between company, people and all associated stakeholders. In today's competitive environment quest for quality assurance has acquired important place particularly among firms where survival itself has become a challenge. Firms focus on identity in order to establish its image and its distinctive characteristics. However, this identity is established after a long process which is based on particular beliefs and characteristics of the firm and its particular products. A product identity includes its set of characteristics, customers trust and satisfaction, their needs which is a difficult task that takes its due course of time to reach the desired objective.
Brand identity is the first impression of a product but the most permanent process in the business model as it communicates the message of not only the product but the whole business. The whole process is based on research which takes into account different issues right from social and economics to consumer's behavior and market competition. This process in turn stimulates more competition and preference of choice. In addition, firms use their brand identity for good purposes as well as such corporate social responsibility. However, there are situations where brands are unable to bring the desired results for instance in monopoly when brands may imposes their pressure to establish bad effects. Same conditions are developed where there is no market competition. So brands can be both productive and destructive. Another dilemma is non brands which may go brand and can go bad if they acquire a profit making role if there is no other competitive force to keep control of the market environment. After all this a brand needs identity to create an environment of productive competition and bring a change.
Conclusively, brand identity reflects more than brand characteristics, it also shows the level of achievements of business processes and their sustainability. It's true that the more quality input will lead to more quality output but again innovation is required to cater to the ever changing needs and market competition otherwise brands after certain times get outdated and become history. Continuous market research based on consumer choices and their needs is a prerequisite to establish identity. Others factors being traditions and economies which are quintessence for brand identity to get smooth sailing in market competition.
Source by Naim Ahmed
