Different Dimensions of a Brand

Abstract

Since earliest times producers have used their brands to distinguish their products. Modern branding and acquiring of individual brand names has its origin in the nineteenth century. In recent years brands have become very popular and familiar to the consumers. Brands are very important for the survival and success of a company. A brand must necessarily deliver value and the value must be defined in consumer terms. According to David Ogilvy, 'Brands are a part of the fabric of life'. A brand has an existence that is greater than an actual product or service. A brand has a life of its own and feeds not only on the original product, but can also carry forward its values and identity into new product areas. According to Stephen King, 'A product is something that is made in a factory; a brand is something that is bought by a consumer' (1990.) Thus, a brand is a holistic combination of product and added values. Brand can be defined as a means of creating an identity for a product. It is the sum total of the particular satisfaction which it gives to the consumers who buy that specific brand. This sum total encompasses the name, ingredients, price, packaging, distribution, reputation and ultimately its performance. In fact today's modern brand has outgrown from the mechanical aspects of product differentiation and has acquired a personality of its own. For example, brand Coca-cola.