" BRANDING "

     CONTENT:

• WHAT IS BRANDING?

• HOW IMPORTANT IT IS? EVEN FOR A TECH GIANT LIKE MICROSOFT!

• WHAT IS AN IDEAL BRANDING & IT’S INGREDIENTS?

• HOW DID APPLE BECOME ‘THE APPLE’?

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WHAT IS BRANDING?

Looking out into the world today, it's easy to see why brands are more important now than at any time in the past 100 years.

Now what does ‘branding’ refer to?

BRANDING is simply the way you present yourself or your company.

Brands convey a uniform quality, credibility and experience. It is company's face to the world and the way it is perceived by its customers.

HOW IMPORTANT IT IS?

The best example I can think of for this is the Microsoft’s nightmare regarding their entry in ‘Mobile Market’. Today, Microsoft, in spite of being the largest Tech Giant, struggles miserably for a better grasp in the mobile market where i0S and Android  are the leaders. The sole reason was the lack of their branding strategies, the way it needed to present their ideology to the world. 

But, the present scenario is getting better ever since our Indian Technocrat and Business magnate, Satya Nadella has taken over Steve Ballmer lately. He has completely transformed the whole ‘Microsoft’ in terms of what it brand stands for today. The biggest step being the acquisition of Nokia which now becomes their flagship platform for all their product and services. What adds to this is the changeover that they brought with Windows 8  which seamlessly runs in both PCs and mobile/tablets. Moreover, the very culture in all its corporate environ has also transformed to boost up with a positive synergy. All these sounds quite good actually, and let’s hope it really is, after all it’s also a matter of pride for India  as far as its CEO is concerned !

                           

WHAT IS AN IDEAL BRANDING?

Well, ‘branding’ can be defined but, its execution and implementation can’t be well defined actually.

What are its ingredients?

- Think analytically. A brand should provide something that audience wants and is not getting from your competitors. 

-- Don't try to appeal to everyone. The best you can do is to focus on the perfect market for your product. 

-- Know who you really are. Know your strengths and weaknesses through honest analysis of what you do best or rather a SWOT analysis.

-- Fully commit to branding. Treat all functions of the company, from product development to sales, as integral aspects of your brand.

 HOW DID APPLE BECOME ‘THE APPLE’?

Apple's brand is a great example of what an ‘ideal branding’ is. The Apple logo is clean, elegant, and easily implemented. At a certain point in time the company began to use the apple logo monochromatically (as opposed to the rainbow stripes), signaling a new era for Apple. Smart branding allowed the company to clearly communicate a change in direction while continuing to build its reputation. Think about how you've seen the brand in advertising, trade shows, packaging, and product design. It's distinctive and it all adds up to a particular promise: Quality of design  and ease of use.

 Here is an amazing video which shows how Apple design their masterpieces.

Market share of Apple

Today, Apple simply stands for perfection, in terms of both hardware and software! Hence this becomes our perfect example for and Ideal Branding.

'Simplicity is sophisticated. The more one tries to simplify, the more sophisticated it becomes.''

   - Subhranil Debnath | Author 

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