A brand is not what you say it is; it's what others believe it is. A brand stands for something. It is a company's reputation-- the expectation that resides in the customer's mind. A brand represents clarity, reassurance, consistency, status, membership -- everything that enables a company to help define it.

A brand is a nucleus of sales and marketing activities, generating increased awareness and loyalty when managed strategically. People trust brands, develop strong loyalties to them, buy them and believe in their superiority.

As products and services become indistinguishable, as competition creates infinite choices, differentiation is imperative. It speaks out with one distinctive voice -- on the web, in an advertisement, in conversations with salespeople, in a conference -- and must project the same unified message.