Brands vs. Brand Names

All brands have names and identity systems. The identity systems typically include type fonts, colors, icons and other visual elements. Sometimes they also include auditory, olfactory, gustatory and tactile elements. And they sometimes include taglines. 

The brand name can convey a specific intended meaning or feeling or it can just be a name that has been assigned to the brand without that intention. The tagline goes further in communicating the brand's intended promise.

But a brand's name is just like your name. It is merely a label. It is a way to identify you with words. And a brand's identity is the same as your visual appearance and perhaps the other sensory queues that you emanate such as your voice or pheromones. 

The brand, on the other hand, is more than its name and identity system. It is what is behind the name and identity system. Just as you are more than just your name or appearance. You are a complex sentient being who has a personality, a style and set of values, certain attitudes and behaviors, likes and dislikes, etc. You are the sum total of all that goes on in your head and your heart and your body (and some would say in your soul too). You are your thoughts and your words and your deeds.

Brands have the same complexity.

People perceive you not just based on your name and appearance, but also on your personality, attitudes, values and especially your behaviors. The same its true for brands. 

So, as a brand manager, you need to be concerned about the products and services and processes and systems and organizational culture and strategic partnerships that impact your brand's values, attitudes and behaviors, especially as they relate to the end customer.