Software BrandingYou can only do branding if you have a million dollars. Only big companies should brand their products and company. Branding is just about the graphic image or logotype.

Wrong, wrong and wrong again.

I just did a quick Internet search on the subject and the erroneous statements above are very common. The most common misconceptions are that it’s expensive, difficult and that it’s all about the looks.

Well I am here to tell you that when it comes to marketing software, building your product brand and company brand are among the most important things you can do.

I am going to do a series of posts about why and how to brand your company and your software, why this is important and what you should think about.

So what is Software Branding if it isn’t about the looks?

Wikipedia defines a brand as

“A brand includes a name, logo, slogan, and/or design scheme associated with a product or service. Brand recognition and other reactions are created by the use of the product or service and through the influence of advertising, design, and media commentary. A brand is a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to the product and serves to create associations and expectations around it.”

I find the last part especially interesting – “a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to the product and serves to create associations and expectations around it”.

Stephen King from WPP Group, London says: “A product is something that is made in a factory; a brand is something that is bought by a customer. A product can be copied by a competitor; a brand is unique. A product can be quickly outdated; a successful brand is timeless.” (Aaker in Managing Brand Equity, 1991)

This is the first post in a series. Let me know in the comments section below, what you think, if you have any questions, if you agree or disagree and if there is anything in particular you would like me to cover.