Introduction: What Is a Brand?
A brand is the complete set of concepts, expectations, impressions, and reputations that are associated with a given entity. Usually that entity is a company or product. A product can mean different things to different people, and this difference can be especially strong when comparing the visions of people who run a brand to the perceptions of its customers. WeWork did not set out to have a "bad" brand.
A brand is not the product itself, but it is strongly determined by product characteristics and deployment. When people come in contact with a product, they form impressions about the brand based on direct experience. Products have affordances which give users impressions and suggest to marketers possible brand positionings.
A brand also isn't the "visual identity," but is often strongly determined by graphic cues from brand assets, product design, advertisement, etc.
So, if a brand isn't the product, the copywriting, the mission statement, the founder's vision, the designer's aesthetics, or the employees' actions, what is it? A brand is a cultural phenomenon that emerges only when these things come into contact with people. A brand lives in the minds of those who are aware of it.
