As someone who works in the field of marketing, branding is a term I hear and use very often. It’s not uncommon that I’ll have someone say, “I’m not sure what you mean – what is branding? And what does it mean for me?”

At a fundamental level, branding deals with the perception of an organization based on an encounter or experience with it. Branding is about identification. Just like branding is used to identify a particular ranch’s ownership of cattle, the branding of an organization is used to identify its products and services and their unique place in a particular market.

Logos & identity

Logos and identity marks are integral parts of branding, and generally they are the starting place for defining the image of an organization. The style, the layout, shapes and icons, fonts and letterforms, colors and other elements all come together to define and represent the total range of services and experiences related to that organization.

And while logos are the association with branding, branding can also include taglines, styles and formatting, sales presentation, customer service, collateral materials and more. So branding can not only describe the logo or identity, it can also describe a range of components experienced by consumers as they interact with the organization.

Yet branding isn’t just for identifying an organization. Products and services themselves can be branded. And so branding can be used to guide an audience through a variety of products and experiences while still operating under a parent brand.

My Disney dining experience

I’ve been to Disneyland many times throughout the years. Within Disneyland are all kinds of attractions, rides, stores and vendors. Each of these has its own brand – for example, one of my favorite restaurants there is an old style family diner. Even though I am at Disneyland, from the moment I stepped into the diner it is designed – branded – to evoke a very specific experience. But I haven’t left Disneyland, I’ve simply encountered a dining brand (yum) that the Disney company has chosen to associate with its overall experience. And of course there are dozens of other diners and attractions with their own flavor. But don’t forget – even Disneyland is merely a subset of Disney Parks, which is itself a branded division of the Disney company.

Branding vs marketing

Branding is sometimes used interchangeably with the term “marketing”, but the two are not the same even while they may go hand-in-hand. Marketing is usually broader outgoing communication with a call to action, often to attract attention to products, services, or even brands. Branding on the other hand usually deals with the specifics of how those products, services and brands are perceived. Marketing and branding overlap in that effective marketing starts with a clearly defined brand that identifies the source of the marketing communications.

So what does branding mean for you?

The Disney company is not the only organization who can benefit from branding. Entrepreneurs, small businesses, conglomerates and Fortune 500 companies alike need quality branding. Good branding sets the organization, product or service apart in the marketplace, and makes it easily identifiable and properly aligned with its audience.

Branding starts with your organization name, is identified through your logo or identity mark, and represents your unique combination of values and services. It should appeal to your target demographics and help identify your organization or service. It should also be something the leadership of the organization feels good about – after all, it will also serve as an internal rallying point for daily operations.

Bottom line: quality branding will get you noticed by the right people in the right places.