What comes to mind when you hear the word brand? A cow marked as belonging to a certain farm? A logo of your favorite gadget company? The way your coolest friend dresses and speaks? Actually, all of those responses would be correct.
Merriam-Webster defines “brand” as:
Brands were first used by cattle owners to differentiate their livestock from that of their neighbors. The marks were useful if an animal was lost, but they also became a symbol of quality. A marking that came with an expectation.
Today, we associate brands with trademark symbols. A legally protected name and logo referring to a company’s line of products. Many of us are loyal to certain brands of product.
Sometimes brands themselves become more important to us than the products themselves. That’s why we care what store name is emblazoned on the front of our shirts, and why we leave labels on our hats. We want to be associated with brands that we think set us apart. In a way, we’re building our own personal brands.
Even presidential candidates spend thousands of dollars creating brands for their campaigns. Yes, people have brands, too.
So what’s your brand? If you’re a Biz Kid, you probably have more than one: a brand for your products and services, and your own personal “brand.” The way you dress, interact, and speak.
There are plenty of resources to help you create a brand for your business. Here’s a few:
- The Wall Street Journal’s guide to trademarking a business name
- Entrepreneur Magazine’s coverage of crowdsourced logo design shops
- Biz Kid$ business plan toolkit, complete with brand planning worksheet