2. What Is a Brand?

It’s probably important that we start this guide off by defining what a brand isn’t.

A brand is not a logo.

The confusion usually stems from the fact that people often say they are re-branding and that just means they are changing their logos and colors.

While a logo can represent the brand, it isn’t the brand.

Got it?

It’s similar to the clothes that you wear not being you but they can represent you. They can be part of your story but they don’t define you.

So then what is a brand?

People have different definitions but the Pocket Business definition of a brand is this:

The thoughts and feelings that occur when someone thinks about you or your business.

Right off the bat, you can see that a brand is not going to be something that is universally agreed upon by many people.

For example, if you love Apple, the brand is one thing to you and if you hate Apple, the brand is something else.

That makes it seem like you have no control over how your brand is perceived but that isn’t true. There are things that you can do to try your best to get your brand perceived to be the way you want it to be.

That is what this handbook is about.

How do you set up your brand in a way that people view it in a positive light and what actions do you need to consistently take to ensure those positive thoughts and emotions remain?

That is the question that you’ll need to always ask yourself whenever you work on your brand. That is the question you need to ask yourself whenever you take an action that relates to your business.

It sounds like a lot of pressure, but as you’ll see in this guide, over time, most of this will become instinctual.

You won’t have to refer to your brand guide to see what action to take because you’ll know the right action to take. You’ll feel what is right.

With that being said, let’s explore why establishing a brand for your business is important.