Glossary of Branding Terms

B2B stands for “business to business”. A B2B brand is geared towards companies. It offers products or services for other companies.

B2B branding is the systematic development and implementation of a B2B corporate brand to support the business success of a B2B company. This is done, for example, by preference formation, price premium, cost reduction and risk minimization.

The tactical communication to promote the products and services of a B2B company.

B2C stands for “business to consumer.” A B2C brand appeals directly to the end consumer.

A brand is an image in the mind: it is made up of visual impressions, values and stories that are associated with a brand name or logo.

A training program built around the brand. As part of a comprehensive brand development effort, companies support their brand leaders in empowering their global teams to continuously implement and evolve the brand. This is done by using training modules on the basic principles of branding as well as company-specific modules. Global companies stage the intended brand experience in a physically built, interactive brand academy.

The planning and implementation of the brand strategy and brand design in specific measures and processes to activate the power of the brand.

Brand ambassadors outside of companies: well-known and respected individuals, e.g. from the world of sport, film or research, who put their name at the service of brands and thus increase their awareness and positively influence the decision to purchase products and services of the represented brand. Brand ambassadors within the company: employees who act as internal brand representatives and embody the brand’s values and messages in their daily work. Brand ambassadors also often support the company-wide implementation of the brand by enabling teams to apply the brand correctly and consistently. Another role of brand ambassadors is to make guidelines, templates and best practice examples known and accessible.

The systematic collection of data to support strategic brand management. Qualitative and quantitative analyses are conducted to enable an informed decision on the further development of the brand. Qualitative analyses can include brand audits, management interviews, customer surveys or benchmark analyses. Quantitative analyses range from purchase driver analysis to comprehensive brand equity studies.

Brand architecture refers to the structured organization and hierarchy of a brand or brand portfolio, including the relationships between corporate, product and sub-brands.

The systematic examination of all aspects of a brand to evaluate its current strategy and positioning, as well as its brand presence, using strategic criteria.

Brand awareness is the first stage in the sales funnel: the ability of a brand to be perceived by potential customers, either through physical presence, marketing activities or online presence. The goal of every brand is to achieve higher visibility in the market, compared to its competitors.

The ongoing management, development and maintenance of a brand to maintain and increase its relevance and value in the market.

Brand Value ist der finanzielle Wert einer Marke, basierend auf verschiedenen Faktoren.

The sum of all brand-related messages to existing and potential customers, talents and employees, and other stakeholder groups. Brand communication is not limited to verbal communication: the entire brand experience contributes to communication on behalf of the brand.

The visual appearance of a brand, consisting of name, logo, imagery, colors, fonts, illustrations, icons, layout principles, animation principles and secondary design elements. This also includes spatial experiences, sound and moving image style. In combination, these elements ensure a distinctive appearance and thus recognition.

Brand development is either the development of a completely new brand or the maintenance and further development of an existing brand.

The creation of a unique positioning and perception of a brand in its market – in comparison to its competitors.

Initiatives to attach customers, employees and other stakeholders to the brand. This includes, for example, developing an internal communication strategy, or designing and implementing a brand launch or an onboarding program.

Brand equity is brand capital – added value that a brand has in the perception of customers.

The match between two brands or companies in the context of a merger, acquisition or cooperation. For example, the respective positioning, brand experience (brand presence), brand strength, brand awareness or global presence are considered.

The strategic, visual and verbal elements of a brand that define its identity and in combination create a relevant and differentiating brand experience.

The planning and implementation of the brand strategy and brand design in specific measures and processes to activate the power of the brand.

The process by which a company is fully integrated into another company, e.g. as part of a merger or acquisition, in order to form a single entity and thus realize economies of scale and growth. The integrated brand is abandoned as part of brand integration – or continued as a product brand. Brands with substantial financial value can also be sold or licensed to other companies as part of this process.

The introduction of a new brand or a revised brand identity. This involves planning the development and implementation of brand and company-specific activities – based on the brand strategy and the developed design..

Brand management is the strategic alignment and maintenance of a brand throughout its entire life cycle.

The name or term by which a brand is known and identified. Brand names can be of different types. A distinction is made between artificial and real names. Artificial names allow the creation of sonorous and unique terms. Real and descriptive names are often derived from the company’s field of activity or from the names of its founders. Since there are already millions of registered brand names worldwide, artificial names offer two distinct advantages: the chances being able to register a .com URL increase. And it is also easier to register the brand in international trademark registers. Purely descriptive terms that refer to the company’s offering as well as the offering of its competitors may not be registered as a trademark, since industry terms cannot be claimed exclusively by a company. The situation is different for terms from outside the industry, where registration may be possible under certain circumstances. Developing a name for a corporate brand is often the first step in setting up a company – at a time when there is a multitude of other tasks to be dealt with. Nevertheless, coming up with a strong name at an early stage is crucial for later success, because not only does renaming a company cost a lot of money, it also means losing the brand recognition that has been painstakingly established.

The sum of all brands that a company owns or actively maintains and uses. Brand portfolios are often found in B2C business and in the luxury goods sector, where product brands are very specifically aligned with the respective purchasing groups. The owners of brand portfolios generally manage these brands independently of each other in order to retain maximum flexibility for acquisitions and sales. Developing and maintaining a comprehensive brand portfolio requires the deployment of significant human and financial resources. This is the only way to build and maintain awareness, reach and preference for each individual brand.

The unique position of a brand in the market compared to its competitors, based on specific characteristics and values.

The presence and activity of a brand in various channels and media to increase its reach and awareness.

The revision of an existing brand to keep it up-to-date and relevant.  As the basis for an informed decision, a systematic brand audit is carried out, for example, to clarify scope and measures. The brand refresh is developed on the outcome of this audit – from strategy to design to implementation.  A brand refresh rejuvenates the brand perceptibly — but the core of the brand remains the same. The brand name is not changed as part of a refresh, in order to ensure recognizability. In most cases, the logo is also retained or only subtly revised.

Step-by-step introduction of a new or refreshed brand. This includes, for example, time planning, provision of budgets, prioritization of measures, training of those responsible, provision of templates and development of implementation examples in the form of a modular toolbox. In contrast to a so-called “big bang”, where a new or refreshed brand is implemented at once, a brand roll-out can be tailored to the capacities and resources of a company. In certain situations, such as a merger, the roll-out phase is often limited to a few weeks or months. When a part of a company is spun off under a new brand, a step-by-step roll-out is usually ruled out for legal reasons.

The brand story is a short story that deepens the brand promise through narrative elements.

A brand strategy is the long-term orientation of a brand based on the business strategy, with the aim of successfully positioning it in the market, differentiating it from competitors and increasing business success.

The positioning of a brand or company as an expert or opinion leader for specific topics. The topics are selected based on the business strategy and brand positioning and are repeatedly addressed with relevant and differentiating communication. Key to success is a strong focus on few topics that support and sharpen the brand positioning.

Training and workshops to communicate to employees the concept and relevance of the corporate brand and, where applicable, its product brands, as well as their role in its implementation.

The strategic refresh of a brand in order to keep pace with market demands or to open up new business opportunities.

Brand value is the financial value of a brand, based on a number of factors.

Creating added value for customers, shareholders and other stakeholders by strategically aligning the brand for the long term. One example of brand value creation is preference, i.e. securing future revenues by building and maintaining a brand that is preferred over the competition. Another example is increasing margins by achieving a price premium.

Branding refers to the strategic development and maintenance of a brand in order to increase its awareness, recognition and value.

The financial resources available for brand management. The components of a branding budget vary from company to company. Some companies only include core branding activities, while others also integrate sales or marketing.

Branding guidelines are guidelines for managing the brand. They document the strategic foundations of the brand, such as the strategic positioning of the brand (brand idea or brand promise, brand story, brand personality), defined core messages and tone of voice.

The translation of the company strategy into a value-adding brand strategy and a unique brand experience (brand design) – with the aim of sustainably supporting business success through the strategic direction of the brand. The branding process includes the following sub-areas: systematic brand audit, development of the brand strategy and a systematic corporate design and a multichannel implementation strategy.

The systematic planning of a branding process along a timeline – from the development and introduction of a new brand, to the migration of a brand identity, to ongoing brand management. Developing a company-specific branding roadmap allows to identify brand-relevant interdependencies and efficiently manage complex processes.