glossary
https://www.outbrain.com/blog/branding-glossary/
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Glossary
Brand ambassador
A brand ambassador is an individual who promotes and represents a brand with the aim of building awareness of the brand among their own target audiences and customers. Another term for a brand ambassador is “brand advocate”. A brand ambassador often partners with a brand for monetary or other compensation, but not necessarily always.
Brand ambassador vs brand influencer
Although these terms can sometimes overlap, a brand ambassador can be anyone who provides positive advocacy or publicity, even if not directly requested to do so and they do not benefit financially from it. For example, an unofficial Adidas brand ambassador might be a satisfied customer or loyal brand fan who recommends their new sneakers on social media or creates a YouTube review for family and friends. A brand influencer, on the other hand, usually has an official agreement with the brand that includes some form of payment.
Brand awareness
Brand awareness relates to how aware people are about a brand, from its logo, ads, slogan or simply its market presence. Global icons like Nike have very high awareness, while a local business will likely have good brand awareness only in the immediate community or niche target audience. Brand awareness is not easily measurable, because it is a qualitative and subjective notion. However, with the increase in sophistication of online measurement tools, it is possible to track certain markers of online consumer behavior, measure them and compare them to pre-set KPIs to determine the brand awareness level.
Aided vs unaided brand awareness
There are two ways to approach brand awareness, aided and unaided. Aided brand awareness is a measure of how well a consumer recognizes a brand when prompted by the name or other branding feature. Unaided brand awareness denotes brand awareness with no prompting. For example, if a consumer is asked to name a soft drink brand they love and they respond “Coke”, this is an example of unaided brand awareness measurement. On the contrary, if the consumer is asked directly what they think about Coke, this is an example of aided brand awareness, as they are being prompted with the brand name.
When there is high unaided brand awareness, this is the sign that the brand is strong and highly recognized in the market.
Brand Book
A brand book (or brand guide) is the a DNA blueprint with layers upon layers of details that build the brand;
A successful brand book should have the following:
The brand language and communication style (for example, formal or informal, appealing the emotions of the audience, or cool and withdrawn).
• Brand name• Outline of the brand story, ethos, and purpose/mission• Brand purpose• Core values• Brand tone of voice• Brand logo, its variations• The visual language, colour scheme, illustration and or photography style, mood, tone• Icons and various icons to support the various product or service categories• Fonts, sizes, and style variations
A brand book is equipped with examples of the brand tone of voice for mages that reflect the brand and give examples as to what images can be used in the marketing strategy of the brand from B2C and when requested B2B.
Stockholders end up utilizing this tool as a tangible brand asset, a guide for communication experts, creative and art directors who will select sections on who to instruct copywriters, designers and sales.
Brand differentiation
Brand differentiation is the ways that a brand defines, showcases and portrays its unique value proposition to customers, and how the brand provides consumers with something different, unique, special and value added in comparison to similar brands and products. In saturated marketplaces, brand differentiation is the key to standing out and beating the competition.
Brand equity
Brand equity is a marketing term that denotes the perceived, inherent value of a brand. It is not the brand’s monetary value, but rather its social value among the wider public and consumer audience. Although brand equity is not a financial term, it can have a strong impact on revenue. A brand with higher equity is more recognized and favorably perceived by potential customers, leading to increased sales.
There are several theories of how to build brand equity, with a popular methodology being the brand equity pyramid, otherwise known as the Customer Based Brand Equity (CBBE) pyramid, or Keller’s brand equity pyramid, named for Professor Kevin L Keller who created it. The brand equity pyramid focuses on four areas – Identity, Meaning, Response, and Relations – in which brands can build positive experiences, increasing positive sentiment and goodwill towards the brand among customers and increasing brand equity.
Brand equity vs brand value
Brand essence is the core substance of a brand, everything that makes up its character, personality, and being. In much the same way that each person has a unique and complex essence that makes them who they are, so do brands. A brand’s essence is reflected in the most fundamental ways in which it operates – its values, purpose, and meaning in the world.
Brand essence has a strong impact on the way that customers feel about the brand, and the ways in which they engage and interact with it. Take for example, the Gucci brand essence and compare it to the brand essence of a totally different type of brand, such as Lego. Everything about the look, feel, products, vision, values, vibe, and purpose of each brand is vastly different and self aligned. When it is strong and authentic, brand essence is an essential element of an overall successful brand marketing strategy.
Brand essence
Brand equity measures a brand’s perceived inherent value, while brand value is a measure of a company’s monetary worth if it were to be sold today. Brand value does not just take into account the worth of a brand’s physical assets yet also includes the value of the goodwill and perception associated with the brand among consumers. Brands that have higher equity (perceived value) will naturally have a higher brand value (monetary worth).
Brand exposure
Brand exposure is the actions taken to ensure a brand is seen, noticed, and recognized by consumers and audiences. The more exposure a brand has, the more it can grow brand awareness, brand equity, its customer base, and revenue. There are many ways to try and achieve brand exposure, including inbound and outbound marketing, advertising (both digital and offline), Out of Home (OOH) advertising, email marketing, co-marketing collaborations, in-store marketing, and many more.
Brand exposure vs brand awareness
Brand exposure is how much a brand is seen by consumers, while brand awareness is a measure of how aware consumers are of the existence of a brand in the market. Both of these feed off each other. The more brand exposure, the more likely consumers are to become aware of the brand. The more brand awareness, the more consumers are likely to seek out a brand and be exposed to it, or to recognize the brand when they are exposed to it by chance. Both are essential for gaining consumer mindshare.
Brand identity
Brand identity is all the elements of a brand’s physical, conceptual, and emotional being, and how these relate to and interact with consumers and the marketplace. Academic studies of brand identity became popular in the 1990s, with the Brand Identity Prism theory remaining at the forefront until today. According to Jean-Noël Kapferer, there are six elements that make up the brand identity prism: Physique, Personality, Culture, Relationship, Self-Image, and Reflection. Each has its own position in the prism, based on their relation between the business and the customers. When these elements work together smoothly and in sync, they form the basis of a coherent, clear and effective brand identity.