When learning classical music, students are taught the three fundamental Bs: Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. The basics of marketing also consist of three Bs: Brand, Brand and Brand. Perhaps that’s why so many industry experts, advertising icons and business entrepreneurs have something to say on the topic.
“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” – Jeff Bezos
“You have to stay true to your heritage; that’s what your brand is about.” – Alice Temperley
“It’s very important for a brand to have an identity through the years, but it’s very important as well to evolve because times change so fast.” – Donatella Versace
“Brand is just a perception, and perception will match reality over time. Sometimes it will be ahead, other times it will be behind. But brand is simply a collective impression some have about a product.” – Elon Musk
“Brand is not a product, that’s for sure; it’s not one item. It’s an idea, it’s a theory, it’s a meaning, it’s how you carry yourself. It’s aspirational, it’s inspirational.” Kevin Plank
“As an entrepreneur, one of the biggest challenges you will face will be building your brand. The ultimate goal is to set your company and your brand apart from the crowd. If you form a strategy without doing the research, your brand will barely float – and at the speed industries move at today, brands sink fast.” – Ryan Holmes
“Your premium brand had better be delivering something special, or it’s not going to get the business.” – Warren Buffett
“You now have to decide what image you want for your brand. Image means personality. Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the market place.” – David Ogilvy
“No one is going to understand your brand better than you.” -Alexander Wang
“I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to build some kind of lifestyle brand that was preppy and cool.” – Tommy Hilfiger
“Suppliers and especially manufacturers have market power because they have information about a product or a service that the customer does not and cannot have, and does not need if he can trust the brand. This explains the profitability of brands.” – Peter Drucker
“I actually do think you’re seeing this trend towards organizations just caring more about their brand and engaging…I think that’s a lot of why companies are starting blogs, are just giving more insight into what’s going on with them.” – Mark Zuckerberg
“Social media is changing the way we communicate and the way we are perceived, both positively and negatively. Every time you post a photo, or update your status, you are contributing to your own digital footprint and personal brand.” – Amy Jo Martin
“When people use your brand name as a verb, that is remarkable.” – Meg Whitman
“Great companies that build an enduring brand have an emotional relationship with customers that has no barrier. And that emotional relationship is on the most important characteristic, which is trust.” – Howard Schultz