Branding sells.

The article’s title is a truism – who doesn’t know that brands sell – but it hides some pitfalls. The first pitfall is the very notion of brand. The second is the connection between sales and brands. The explanations are simple at hand, but few delve into an analysis of the two ideas. Or traps.

So brand and sales. In the public space, most brand discourses are about a logo or a visual identity. this rhetoric is increasingly common and suits designers (or consultants) and clients ideally. Strange, is not it? The notion of brand implies knowledge, recognition, notoriety, repeat purchase, reputation, attachment, a certain sense of belonging, etc. Challenging to create because it requires time and budget, requires constancy and homogeneity in price, product (or service), messages, communication, and presence in the most suitable environments. That is, it requires strategy. I understand it’s hard, and everyone wants overnight results with minimal effort. But, unfortunately, you cannot have brands without all of the above. Brands will only sell when they are genuine brands, not just products or services identified by a logo.

An authentic brand has high added value and profit margin. Examples are everywhere, but what you don’t see or sometimes don’t want to see (and apply) is that a lot of time, effort, ingenuity, and money have been invested in them.