Brands are a staple of culture the world over. They’re a way for us to tell the world a little bit about who we are and what we stand for. But what exactly is a brand? And how do we go about shaping one?

What a Brand Isn’t

Before we can understand what a brand is, it’s important to talk about what it’s not.

It’s not a logo. A logo is a visual mark that is used to represent your brand. A logo should come to life as a result of having a clearly defined brand; not the other way around.

It’s not the name of a product or service. That’s called a trademark, or a brand name (not the same as a brand). This is what most people think of when they think of the word “brand.” Even I’m guilty of it from time to time, and I work in Marketing.

It’s not a piece of advertising. The words advertising, marketing and branding are often used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same thing. It’s like saying that, because lemons, limes and oranges are all citrus fruits, they’re the same.

While we’re here, let’s define the other two terms for clarity’s sake. Marketing is a broad term that describes anything about the business that consumers might come into contact with. It includes decisions about your pricing model, public relations efforts, packaging design, and even customer service policies. Advertising is a subset of marketing, and specifically refers to paying to tell people about something.

Alright, time to get down to brass tacks – what the heck is a brand?

What a Brand Really Is

In a nutshell, a brand is what people think of when they think about your product or service. It’s the sum total of all the different ways they would describe what you have to offer.

Wait a sec. A brand exists in other people’s minds? But how do I control what they think?

Well, short of some 1984 voodoo, you don’t. You can’t directly change what people think about your brand, no more than you can change what people think about you as a person just by telling them to think something else (here’s a little secret – you have a personal brand, too).

Ok, so a brand is what other people think about your product or service. Now let’s unpack that a bit by asking the following question: what influences the way people think about your product or service?

The answer is “lots of stuff.” Sure, advertising is one piece of it. If I see a really inspirational Nike ad, or a really funny Old Spice ad, I might have a laugh and like the brand name a little more. But what if I buy those Nike shoes, and they fall apart on me within three months? What if I then call customer service to complain, and they tell me to go fly a kite? And what if I then take my issues to social media, only to be met with insults from the brand online?

Well, I’m pretty much never buying that brand again, and I’m probably also telling everyone I know to do the same. But what if that scenario played out differently? Let’s go step-by-step.

An Example: the Nike Brand

I see an ad for Nike shoes, and I’m inspired. I now think Nike stands for achievement and greatness. My perception of them is influenced.

I buy the shoes, and they come in a gorgeous box beautifully wrapped with a detailed manual congratulating me on my purchase and telling me about all the technical facets of my shoes. I think to myself “Gee willikers, Nike put a lot of thought into designing these shoes, they must be pretty great products.” My perception of them is influenced again.

I wear the shoes for a while, and they break on me within three months. Ok, well that’s not really consistent with my perception of Nike up to now, so I revise it in my head. “Nike talks a great talk, but they don’t walk the walk.” Pun intended, no shame.

I contact Nike customer service to complain about my busted shoes. I’m angry on the phone, but the customer service rep is cool, calm and collected, and agrees to send me a new pair of shoes free of charge. She doesn’t even need me to send the old ones back.

Wait, whaaat?

So now I have three positive experiences and one negative one. But the way Nike handled my complaint on the phone makes me forgive the fact that my shoes broke in the first place. If the shoes break, Nike will take care of me. They make nice shoes that make me feel ready to take on the world, and though I might have gotten a pair of lemons, they made it right without making me jump through hoops, which tells me they stand by their products. I might use adjectives like “inspirational, beautiful, and reliable” to describe Nike as a result of these interactions.

See how it all comes together? That’s branding. It’s really hard to directly control what people think about you or your business. But you can control the interactions people have with you. You can control the first impression when people walk into your storefront. You can control what your website looks like. You can control how your team speaks to customers on the phone. You can control how you handle complaints.

Wrapping it Up

My goal with this piece is to show people that there is way more to a brand than its logo, its name, or its advertising. Every interaction someone has with a business influences their perception of that brand, for better or for worse.

That means you, business owner, have a responsibility to consider all facets of your business. What elements of it make people think more positively about you, and where might be the areas that are negatively affecting peoples’ perceptions? If you don’t know, you should probably find out. Knowing what people think, and how that compares to what you want people to think about your brand, is the first step to changing their perceptions. When you understand where the gaps are between the two, you can start planning out how you run things differently to get people to change the way they think about your brand.

If your customers think exactly what you want them to, but prospects have a different view, then maybe it is your advertising or website you need to focus on. If it’s the other way around, take a look at your core product – what are people dissatisfied with, and why?

The same goes for employees. You don’t have to be a business owner to affect your company’s brand – you know now that every interaction matters. So how do your interactions affect what customers think? And how can you go about making sure those interactions are the best they can be?

If this sounds complicated, that’s because it is. There’s no silver bullet to managing your brand, and there’s no resting on your laurels either. It’s a constant effort, kind of like Sisyphus pushing the rock uphill. If you ever stop trying, that rock will roll down to the bottom. But when you get it right, the results are so worth it.

The brands that get it right are the brands that win in the market.