Brands Matter
Why do brands matter? Brands matter because your brand is synonymous with your reputation, and unless you and your brand stand for something, you stand for nothing. If you have a brand that stands for something, it provides your target prospects with a short-cut in processing the information in choosing you over someone/something else.
The Bottom Line
A brand is one of your company’s most valuable assets. It is a predictor of future performance and a determinant of your company’s value. It is your promise or guarantee of performance, what your target prospects are assured of receiving as a result of their relationship with your company.
Brands Are Like Sponges
They are defined by your best performance, as well as your worst performance, by your most outstanding accomplishments, as well as by your poorest. They are defined by every public statement or written message you put out, as well as by the comments of others based on their perception of you.
Brand Strength
Every brand has at its core a substance that gives it strength. You must understand what that core strength is before you can define, build and grow your company’s brand. Understanding your company’s core strengths is not strictly about your products and services, your identity or attitudes, or about your past performance. It is about understanding the fundamental values peculiar to what you are, relative to your target prospects.
Brand Authenticity
Is the result of continuous, clear, and consistent efforts to deliver your value at every touch-point. When your brand stays on message and delivers what is expected – or better yet, consistently exceeds expectation, then the value of your brand promise is reinforced and enhanced.
Posted by Fletcher-Saginaw Jane 
