The general description of branding as \u201cdelivering all the promises and perceptions that the organization wants its constituents to hold\u201d is widely accepted among those who teach and practice the art and science Yet, as all-encompassing as that definition is, it is inadequate, overly subjective, and, importantly, is a difficult \u201csell\u201d when dealing with business executives bearing finance, manufacturing, and research or engineering backgrounds. It may communicate effectively to the marketing or sales-trained executive, but is too \u201csoft\u201d for technically or scientifically trained executives, and too immeasurable for financial executives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A New Definition of Branding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In isolating the true function of branding, a more directed, measurable, and sellable definition emerges – \u201cBranding is identifying or creating, and then exploiting, sustainable competitive advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every word of that new definition is instrumental to the concept as a whole. Likewise, the entire phrase is the singular foundation of business success. It explains what branding does, but it also clarifies the result of branding. It\u2019s a process that executives from any business background can conceptualize and embrace, definition emerges – \u201cBranding is identifying or creating, and then exploiting, sustainable competitive advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sustainable Competitive Advantage is the Foundation of a Viable Brand<\/strong> Ask business executives to define their company\u2019s sustainable competitive advantage, and often you\u2019ll hear \u201cour employees,\u201d \u201cour products,\u201d or \u201cour technology,\u201d among the most frequent of the myriad of possible answers. In reality, none are prima fascia sustainable competitive advantages (\u201cadvantages\u201d for the sake of brevity). \u201cAdvantage\u201d falls into only two categories, something that you own that is a barrier to competition or something that you do very well that effectively bars competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the first category of \u201cadvantage,\u201d something that you own (exclusively, such as a patent or an unreasonably duplicatable process), the task is more of an advertising\/public relations\/ sales process, rather than branding. This is so by definition, as it already is a sustainable competitive advantage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The general description of branding as \u201cdelivering all the promises and perceptions that the organization wants its constituents to hold\u201d is widely accepted among those who teach and practice the art and science Yet, as all-encompassing as that definition is, it is inadequate, overly subjective, and, importantly, is a difficult \u201csell\u201d when dealing with business…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-107710","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n