There are thousands of ways to define branding. One formal definition says branding is “the process of determining your competitive advantages, building an institutional culture, a brand strategy and a business strategy to those advantages, and then communicating that brand effectively and consistently.” In other words, branding is a strategic process and not a one-time project.
My favorite definition of branding is branding is “who you are.” It is the sum of everything you say and do.
However, branding is more than just a definition.
In reality branding is:
- How your employees answer the phone
- How you greet consumers
- How your branches look from the outside
- How your branches look on the inside
- The promises you make (and keep)
- The service you provide
- The way you treat your fellow employees
- Your on-hold message
- How your employees dress
- The way your bathrooms smell
- The attitude you bring to work
- The way you run meetings
- The speed with which you respond to a request
- How well your website is organized
- How easy your mobile app is to use
- The big things
- The little things
- Your strategy
- Your tactics
- Your culture
In sum, branding is everything.