Fundamental branding dictionary

1. Brand building

To build a brand is to define the values that are to be offered to clients and users, in order to best position the company/organisation within their respective marketplace, and to carefully prepare a strategy that communicates these values.[accordions active=-1]
[accordion title=”Brand”]
The distinguishing identity associated with a product, service or organisation, characterised by tangible and intangible elements, that when efficiently managed, bring about added value to the brand and the power to influence the market and/or society.
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[accordion title=”Branding”]
The act of analysing, building and managing a brand (associated with a product, service or organisation), to differentiate it in the marketplace and/or society, through its content and appeal. Tangible and intangible elements are selected and used to build a brand and consistently communicate its message.
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[accordion title=”Communication plan”]
A written document that reflects brand personality, detailing the criteria and necessary actions required to effectively brand a company/organisation. It includes and takes into account a specific brand audit, strategic positioning, corporate identity and a communication campaign designed within a set time-frame.
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[accordion title=”Brand audit”]
A brand identity analysis, that assesses brand competivity within the marketplace and the brand image perceived by the customers/clients/users of a product/service/organisation.
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[accordion title=”Brand personality”]
The corporate perspective of a brand. Brand personality is defined by the values and attributes that a company/organisation want its clients to associate with the products or service it offers. Corporate communication is founded upon brand personality.
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[accordion title=”Brand image”]
A consumer’s perspective of a brand, gauged by the overall experience that a client has through direct contact with a product or service. Positive and negative associations are formed according to different expectations.
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[accordion title=”Brand competition”]
A brand’s status within the marketplace. The number of clients a product/service/organisation has at any given moment, and the measure of a brand’s ability to distinguish itself from competition. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are considered in order to strategise for the future.
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[accordion title=”Strategic positioning”]
A written phrase that defines the unique characteristics that differentiate a brand from a client’s perspective. Brand idenity as well as brand image play a significant role in determining positioning.
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[accordion title=”Communication strategy”]
An concise analysis that paves the way for strategic positioning and a well-crafted communication campaign that a company/organisation can put into effect. A company’s current status, together with the target audience and aims & objectives, are all taken into account. A communication strategy involves the careful design of a rational proposal that is presented to clients. Both internal as well as external communication is particularly significant.
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2. Brand development

Brand development consists in creating a visual or verbal identity required to strategically position a company/organisation in the marketplace, as well as protecting both the internal and external application of the brand identity.[accordions active=-1]
[accordion title=”Brand identity”]
The outward expression of a brand consisting of visual and verbal elements that serve to distinguish the brand from its competitors. Corporate identity is formed by visual elements (such as a logotype, typography and colours) as well as verbal elements (such as a name, a tagline and tone of voice).
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[accordion title=”Name”]
The principal verbal expression that a consumer uses to associate a product/service/organisation with a brand identity. [/accordion]
[accordion title=”Logotype”]
The principal visual expression that a consumer uses to associate a product/service/organisation with a brand identity.[/accordion]
[accordion title=”Tagline”]
A short and concise phrase that encompasses the value(s) that a product/service/organisation offers its consumers. It is a summary of a brand’s strategic positioning.
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[accordion title=”Brand identity guidelines”]
A document that defines the fundamentals of a corporate communication strategy as well as providing instructions and rules to follow in order to effectively develop and apply a brand identity across a wide range of applications. The document is designed according to the needs of a company/organisation to effectively interpret, articulate, communicate, apply and develop its brand identity.
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[accordion title=”Internal communication”]
Methods and resources that a company/organisation uses to inform its employees/members, to strategically position and guide them in order to fulfil a brand’s objectives, in accordance with a communication strategy.
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[accordion title=”External communication”]
Methods and resources that a company/organisation uses to inform different target audiences with which it is in contact. External communication follows a defined communication strategy whose objective is to strengthen and strategically position the brand image within the marketplace.
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3. Brand management

Good brand management requires effective communication that strengthens and improves a company/organisation’s position in the marketplace, in line with a global brand strategy and protecting the brand identity.[accordions active=-1]
[accordion title=”Communication campaign”]
A detailed and specific action plan that serves to implement a company/organisation’s pre-determined communication strategy with the objective of improving strategic brand positioning. The most relevant communication resources are chosen, for example: PR, publicity, sponsorship, direct branding, digital branding, street branding.
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[accordion title=”Publicity campaign”]
Commercial advertising and communication that increases the awareness and subsequent use of a product or service. Advertising is the technique used to spread a corporate message among a specific target audience, using a variety of methods and disciplines.
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[accordion title=”Street branding”]
Brand development (in line with a communication strategy) that is achieved by breaking the moulds of conventional marketing methods, in order to directly connect a consumer to a particular product or service through attention-grabbing stunts in public places.
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[accordion title=”Direct branding”]
Communication that immediately connects a brand with consumers that share social, economic, geographic or professional characteristics. This can be achieived through different means, for example, direct mailing, leaflet distribution, coupons, email newsletters, web banner advertising and mobile messaging.
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[accordion title=”Public relations (PR)”]
Coordinated and lasting methods employed by a company/organisation to communicate more effectively with its consumers, in order to strengthen brand image through trust and support, that inevitably prospers future campaigns.
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[accordion title=”Sponsorship”]
The means by which a company/organisation endorses an event/project (covered by the media) through direct financial support and/or resources, in return for strengthening brand awareness through increased visibility of the brand identity.
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[accordion title=”Digital branding”]
Increasing brand awareness across the internet, using the different means available (websites, blogs, social media, emails, and search engines) to inform consumers about a particular product or service, in accordance with a clearly defined communication strategy.
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[accordion title=”Briefing”]
A document provided to an agency that explains the requirements of a company/organisation. It will details the objectives of a publicity campaign and will summarise key information regarding the brand and its competition.
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[accordion title=”Creative strategy”]
A defined 4-stage process that a publicity campaign follows in order to effectively fulfil its objectives:
Define a key target group among different target audiences
To gain insight (understand how the consumer thinks)
Select the main benefit to the key target group
Highlight the credentials that give the benefit substance
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[accordion title=”Creative concept”]
The fundamental idea that provides the basis for a publicity campaign. The idea will be the most effective way of communicating the benefit of a creative strategy to the key target group.
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[accordion title=”Strategic digital branding”]
A specific and detailed strategy that enhances and enriches a brand across the internet through different digital mediums, in order to improve the brand positioning of a company or organisation. The effectiveness of internet brand development can be measured and tailored much quicker than in other applications.
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[accordion title=”Key target group”]
A defined group of consumers that share significant common traits to which a specific marketing message is directed.
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[accordion title=”Insight”]
The opinion that consumers have of a particular product or service. All the necessary information related to what people think or could think about a product or service is gathered and classified into groups according to the results.
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[accordion title=”Benefit”]
The main factor that a company/organisation presents to its consumers to give the brand a competitive advantage; one that appeals to the key target group.
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[accordion title=”Credential”]
The technical evidence of a product or the main characteristic of a service, that proves the worth of the benefit offered to a key target group.
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[accordion title=”Key image”]
An image that transmits at a glance the creative concept of a publicity campaign. The image is typically made up of a background, colours, typography and other visual elements that are repeated throughout the different brand touchpoints, to strengthen and more effectively communicate the message.
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[accordion title=”Slogan”]
A concise and appealing phrase designed to clearly and effectively express the main idea behind a publicity campaign, from which a language style is developed and similar messages are conveyed.
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[accordion title=”SEM positioning”]
A form of digital branding that involves the promotion of a website by increasing its visibility in search engine results pages. SEM (Search Engine Marketing) refers to all the methods used to achieve this objective including both free and paid-for links.
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[accordion title=”SEO positioning”]
A form of digital branding that involves the promotion of a website by increasing its visibility in search engine’s natural or un-paid (organic) search results. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is developed by strategic web design and content management, making the most of programming and the use of metatags.
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[accordion title=”Viral branding”]
Marketing techniques that exploit social networking services, mobile phone technologies and other means to increase brand awareness through self-replicating viral processes. The term is usually associated with creating content that consumers can easily share with many people in a very short space of time.
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4. Brand review

Brand review involves ensuring that the brand identity is consistently and correctly represented and that the communication strategy is being implemented effectively, in order to position the company/organisation in accordance with the respective aims and objectives.