Which Comes First: The brand or the product?

Contrary to what many entrepreneurs may think, a product is not a brand. Many companies just starting out launch products―a new innovation or new way replacing the old way, assuming there is an old way. Here is where they’ve gone wrong before they’ve even left the gates: They should have launched a brand. Yes, you read that right; launch a brand before a product

Before we all shifted our lives online, branding was more focused on tangible things like product packaging, store design and logos. However, branding has evolved since then to keep pace with the realities of the digital age. Today, some of the world’s top brands—Google, Uber and Twitter come to mind—have nothing to do with a product that you can put in a box and bring home. But that hasn’t stopped them from becoming mega branding success stories.

Some believe that the product comes first and paves the way for the brand to develop around it. While this may seem logical, putting the brand before the product is actually the best way to ensure your business has a stable foundation to build upon.

So, how does one go about developing a brand with no product to lead the way?

The first step is to ask yourself “what’s your WHY?” Why this product and/or business? What about it makes you want to put in the work to make it successful? What’s your STORY? The “WHY” is the most important part of your brand. It’s what your target audience will relate to; what will attract them to you and, probably, what will keep them. Your “WHY” is your Brand Purpose

A popular approach to branding is to think of the brand as a person. What kind of person do you want your brand to be? A reliable helper? A trustworthy guardian? The life of the party?

As you consider this, make sure that you choose a personality that fits the nature of your product. While you can invent any personality that you like for your brand, it’ll be more believable and easier to sustain over the long term if it’s authentic. This entails aligning your brand with things like your company’s vision, mission, culture and values. Your brand should not focus narrowly on what you do—it should represent who you are. You may want to read that sentence again.

While there are differences in how a brand can be applied to a physical versus a non-physical product, at a fundamental level, great branding is blind to such distinctions. Designing a great brand of your own starts with a thoughtful and introspective look at the personality, imagery and voice that encapsulate your product or business. These elements will give form to an identity that sets you apart in customers’ minds and builds success for your business.

Don’t get hung up on features and functionality. Instead, focus on your messaging and story, keeping in mind these five reasons why you should launch a brand, not a product:

1. Brands provide peace of mind.

People, by nature, generally avoid risk and seek safety. If the brands they use consistently deliver a positive experience, consumers form an opinion that the brand is trustworthy, which gives them peace of mind when buying.

2. Brands create difference and save decision-making time.

Any grocery store aisle has more product options than anyone can reasonably consider purchasing. What allows us to select one detergent brand over another, or over a generic product? Use branding to define — in an instant, with a minimum of thought — what makes your product different and more desirable than comparable products.

3. Brands add value.

Why do consumers pay higher prices for brands compared to unbranded or generic products? Is it better quality, the look and feel, or is it the brand’s stature in society? It’s probably a combination of each. Successfully branded products make more money for their companies by commanding premium prices.

4. Brands express who we are.

What smartphone do you own? What car do you drive? What shoes do you wear? The brands we use make a statement about who we are and who we want to be. People become emotionally attached to the brands they use and view them as part of their self-image.

5. Brands give consumers a reason to share.

We all have opinions about the things we experience, and we like to share them with others. Whether it’s a good book, a good movie or a great meal, we become brand advocates when we share positive brand experiences. In our increasingly social world, we have more opportunities than ever to spread the benefit of our experiences. Strong brands give consumers a reason to share their experiences.

Keep it Consistent

Consistency is a key tenet of branding. Inconsistency—for example, introducing frequent logo changes or using a company Twitter account to share silly comments when your brand image is meant to be serious—is one of the quickest ways to send branding efforts off the rails.

A well-executed brand should always reinforce a consistent image, personality and set of values. Your brand can evolve over time, but this should happen as part of a conscious shift of your company’s marketing strategy rather than in an unplanned, haphazard manner.

Last line

Over time, product patents expire, features hit diminishing returns and competitors move into the marketplace. Companies that launch products have little, if anything, to stand on when this happens, while companies that launched a differentiated brand have a sustainable value that cannot be replicated. Remember, a brand is an idea inside a consumer’s mind. Define yours.