When I was asked to write about Brand Management, I knew I was going to have to research thoroughly. I thought first about how I perceive the subject and what a brand actually is.
Brand is a perception between the ears of an individual. Every perception is unique.
A great quote from Christel Vaenerberg, former brand manager and current business development adviser & visionary here at EzyInsights.
My View
To me it is building the relationship between a product and the public: establishing trust and commitment and sustaining the good name and reputation of the company.
I see it primarily as a communication function: starting from your employees, the product, the price and the packaging to experiences that the consumer has with the product and brand – and the relationship between. A seamless experience over all touch points where you get to meet and to know the brand.
Definitions
When I research for a post, I usually hunt for a concrete definition. Not necessarily an academic reference as highlighted when trying to define content marketing but one that is commonly and easily understood.
Googling usually results with Wikipedia definitions near the top of the results but I like to look a bit further afield by identifying peers in that area and seeing what they have to say.
Of course, there is a lot of hype surrounding this topic too. LinkedIn seems to highlight the Wikipedia definition, but seeing past the marketing blurb and self advertisement I like the concise definition from Investopedia that sums it up pretty well:
A function of marketing that uses techniques to increase the perceived value of a product line or brand over time.
Emotional Connection
Contrary to the current backlash against content marketing, building and maintaining a brand is essential. Even more so with the marketing channel shift that has taken place with the evolution of Social Media. Brand management tries to create and maintain that emotional connection between the company, product and consumer.
To get further insights into this field, I decided to continue the conversation with an expert. You can find out more in the up-coming interview with Christel. Stay tuned…