Image & Brand

Brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room.

The term branding refers to the process of equipping the products and services with brand power, to create a line of demarcation between company’s product and other products in the market.

Brand identity is how the brand owner defines his brand, brand image determines how the ultimate consumer perceives the brand.

Brand Identity is how you want the consumer to perceive your product or brand. It helps to shape the personality of the product, service or company. It’s the voice you give your product or service.

Brand Image is the perception of your product or brand by consumers. It’s what they hear.

In other words, the brand identity can be the logo, slogan or tagline, style and tone whereas brand image can be the basic impression, belief of the existing and potential customer regarding the brand.

So many factors combine to create a brand image – some of which you have no control over. This increases the importance of the factors within your control, the strategic choices you make regarding your brand and marketing efforts.

The strongest voice you can give your product is a well-defined and consistently communicated brand identity. Teachers use this when they repeat an important concept for emphasis, and then really let it sink in. Have you given your brand a strong voice? Do you know what your next marketing initiative should be? If you’d like to know more about what your clients hear, give our marketing team a call.

	Brand Identity	Brand Image
1	Brand identity develops from the source or the company.	Brand image is perceived by the receiver or the consumer.
2	Brand message is tied together in terms of brand identity.	Brand message is untied by the consumer in the form of brand image.
3	The general meaning of brand identity is “who you really are?”	The general meaning of brand image is “How market perceives you?”
4	It’s nature is that it is substance oriented or strategic.	It’s nature is that it is appearance oriented or tactical.
5	Brand identity symbolizes firms’ reality.	Brand image symbolizes perception of consumers
6	Brand identity represents “your desire”.	Brand image represents “others view”
7	It is enduring.	It is superficial.
8	Identity is looking ahead.	Image is looking back.
9	Identity is active.	Image is passive.
10	It signifies “where you want to be”.	It signifies “what you have got”.
11	It is total promise that a company makes to consumers.	It is total consumers’ perception about the brand.

Brand personality is the way a brand speaks and behaves. It means assigning human personality traits/characteristics to a brand so as to achieve differentiation. These characteristics signify brand behaviour through both individuals representing the brand (i.e. it’s employees) as well as through advertising, packaging, etc. When brand image or brand identity is expressed in terms of human traits, it is called brand personality. For instance - Allen Solley brand speaks the personality and makes the individual who wears it stand apart from the crowd. Infosys represents uniqueness, value, and intellectualism.
Brand personality is nothing but personification of brand. A brand is expressed either as a personality who embodies these personality traits (For instance - Shahrukh Khan and Airtel, John Abraham and Castrol) or distinct personality traits (For instance - Dove as honest, feminist and optimist; Hewlett Packard brand represents accomplishment, competency and influence). Brand personality is the result of all the consumer’s experiences with the brand. It is unique and long lasting.

Brand personality must be differentiated from brand image, in sense that, while brand image denote the tangible (physical and functional) benefits and attributes of a brand, brand personality indicates emotional associations of the brand. If brand image is comprehensive brand according to consumers’ opinion, brand personality is that aspect of comprehensive brand which generates it’s emotional character and associations in consumers’ mind. Brand personality develops brand equity. It sets the brand attitude. It is a key input into the look and feel of any communication or marketing activity by the brand. It helps in gaining thorough knowledge of customers feelings about the brand. Brand personality differentiates among brands specifically when they are alike in many attributes. For instance - Sony versus Panasonic. Brand personality is used to make the brand strategy lively, i.e, to implement brand strategy. Brand personality indicates the kind of relationship a customer has with the brand. It is a means by which a customer communicates his own identity.

Brand Identity vs Brand Personality

‘Your identity is your most valuable possession and it needs to be protected.’
Similarly, a brand has an identity too – something that a consumer instantly recognizes the brand with.
For instance, what comes to your mind when you read the phrase ‘Just do it!’? You instantly think of the sports brand, Nike. That is the brand’s identity.
A brand identity is conveyed through various aspects of a brand. The brand’s logo, tagline, fonts, color all act towards creating a brand’s identity.

A brand identity is the face of your company or a product.
It represents the company’s values, mission and services.
It is something that your customers know you for. A brand identity is important because:

• An identity sets you apart from your competitors
• A strong brand identity creates a strong brand awareness
• It establishes a connection in the minds of the customers
• When the identity is strong, it creates a strong brand recall
• A strong brand identity leads to credibility and trust among customers

personality of your Brand?

No, it’s not a trick question. Your brand is as human as you are.
It has a personality that has been built through years of development of the brand. While the brand identity can change as the brand passes through phases in the brand life cycle, a brand personality will mostly remain the same.
Brand personality is something that a brand portrays if your brand was a human being. Imagine your brand to be alive at this moment, the qualities that you give your brand, is the brand personality. It is as if ‘giving life to your brand.’

Examples of Brand Image

• Coca-cola is a brand known for happiness, joy, and good experience. It is the ‘original cola’ and has a ‘unique taste’.
• Woodland Shoes are solid and are an ideal choice for outdoors. They last very long.

This image of a brand is ultimately a deciding factor that determines the product sales. The brand image is very important, as it is an accumulation of beliefs and views about that particular brand. The character and value of the brand is portrayed by its image, as it is the main component in the scheme of things.


For example, Colgate is a brand name known in every Indian household. The brand has been able to create an image that defines trust, hope and belief. The consumer is convinced that the usage of Colgate products will give satisfactory results.

Other brands with strong brand image are

1. Apple
2. Google
3. Adidas and many others

Lose control of your brand(usefully)
 Reputations are volatile & loyalties are fickle. Companies are losing control of their employees and customers.

• Give people more control. Collaborate with them on ideas, knowledge, designs and product. 
• This will give sense of ownership. This makes employee more happier and productive. Let employee set their own schedule 
• Less control to Juniors
• This is to counter abundance of choice and make them happier.
• Beyond control
• Hyper connectivity and transparency expose behavior in broad day light. Saying true to their true selves is the only sustainable value proposition.