A brand is much more than a logo. At its very essence, it is a promise of the experience that a customer will have with a company.

While a logo is not a brand, it is a key element of the many components that form a brand identity. The “brand” of a company or organization is represented by every touchpoint. Brand touchpoints are defined by all interactions and exposures with consumers. These exposures can happen through deliberate communication AND via casual interactions as part of everyday life.   

An example of this could be illustrated with Nike. The brand touchpoints could use a billboard in Times Square, a magazine ad in Sports Illustrated, a neighbor’s apparel or on your favorite athlete’s feet while you watch the latest game. Each exposure leaves an impression on our subconscious. When the time comes to make a purchase, consumers attach a value associated with the collective impressions that they have experienced with that brand. Some might be lasting impressions while others might be very recent. When a purchase is made, the consumer is not only buying a product, they are purchasing the brand.

Remember when marketing started with the traditional 4 P’s? Product, price, place and promotion. Well those are all still in play, but with today’s various channels of communication, marketers know that the corporate brand story and brand promise are as important as the product they produce.