I had a conversation with a business owner who wanted advice on building his company’s brand. Brand is an elusive concept that can have many meanings. Maybe that’s because each brand has its own unique meaning in the market. If your goal is brand building, you are after three things:

1. You want your company to be recognized by your target customers. It’s too easy for potential customers to ignore a brand they don’t recognize.
2. You want positive associations in the form of promises and brand attributes to accompany that recognition. “They make those savory nuts I love.” Or: “They are leader in sales management software.” Or: “They have really responsive customer service.”
3. You want the recognition and positive associations to combine to create trust and instill a propensity to buy in the customer.

You have a lot more direct control over Number 1 above than you do Numbers 2&3. A strong marketing program precisely targeted at your major customer segment will build brand recognition for your company and products. The positive associations and propensity to buy must come from the customers themselves—based your company’s ability to meet and surpass customer needs.

Some companies do such a powerful job at brand building that they become synonymous with a single word or phrase, or even an entire category. They are strong companies because they have carved out a market space for their brand, and just as importantly have let go of other market spaces so as not to dilute themselves. For example:

• Volvo=safety (not excitement)
• Blackberry=Smartphone (not cell phone)
• Oracle=databases (Will that change with their purchase of Sun Microsystems?)
• Under Armour=performance (not comfort)
• Walmart=cheap (not luxurious)
• Your company name=What is your brand? What is it not?