BRAND GANG

Last week, I talked about The Big Idea. This week, I am looking at Branding. Personal Branding......Product Branding and everything in between. Basically, how to join a "BRAND GANG"
What is a Brand? A Brand is a Promise.
Branding is why you ask for Pepsi instead of Coca-Cola, why you ask for Samsung instead of iPhone, why you prefer a BMW to a Ford. Everytime, you look at a brand, there is an unspoken communication. Compare these set of convos between a soft drink and a consumer:
CONVERSATION 1
Brand: Hey Dear. You know I promised to refresh you, quench your thirst, and make you look hip among your friends.
Consumer: Yes you promised.
Brand: And when you consumed me,did all I promise happen?
Consumer: Yes they did
Brand: Now, do you want some more?
Consumer: Always.

CONVERSATION 2
Unbranded Product: Hello
Consumer:  (No Response)
Unbranded Product: (Screams louder…and is pushed into the face or hand of consumer)
Consumer: Who/What are you?
Unbranded Product: It doesn’t matter. You need something, I am something. I don’t really have an identity, I don’t have a voice……and………
Consumer: (Cuts in) Who is even speaking? Everything here looks the same. (Walks away)
Unbranded Product: But I’m cheap and available and ……..right here.
Do you know that branding explains the concept of marriage? A spouse has made a set of promises to you over time...and even when there are temptations....there is still a voluntary commitment to stay with your spouse because of promises made and fulfilled over time, as well as an assurance of quality, commitment and dedication in the future, irrespective of market forces!
Wow!
Extending the analogy further, you can compare brand-consumer & product-consumer relationship to that of Wife-Man & Call girl-Man relationship. The constant here being the consumer (Man), with the variable being the wife (brand) and call girl (unbranded product)
The man is loyal to his wife….The man is not loyal to the call-girl
The man has a sense of mutual ownership with the wife (Belonging to each other)……He has no sense of mutual ownership with the call-girl
The man has a sense of obligation with the wife……He has no sense of obligation with the call girl
The man has a relational engagement with the wife…..He has a transactional engagement with the call girl
The man pursues a symbiotic and personally sacrificial relationship with the wife……He pursues a parasitic relationship with the call girl
The affinity between a wife and her husband deepens over time, there is no affinity between the man and a call girl
When the wife errs, the man may not consider punitive or any kind of punishment, nor is the first instinct to dissolve the relationship…..with the call girl, the slightest error in any form will lead to extreme punishment and instant dissolution of even the flimsy transactional relationship
With the wife, there are shared values, world-views, and affinity……with the call girl, there is nothing shared
It's THE Wife.....It's a call-girl
And the list goes on and on.
I like to think that what a brand does to its bearer is to AID him/her/it.
A = ADD VALUE
I = IDENTIFIY (Identity)
D = DIFFERENTIATE

A = ADD VALUE When something is a brand, it has the power to command more value. Why? Because it has a voice. It can articulate who it is, what it offers and what it wants in return. Other commodities only have form. You see them, but they are not saying anything to you. They mean nothing to you.
I = IDENTIFY whatever can’t be Identified, won't be either qualified or quantified. And if you can’t be qualified or quantified, you get nothing. You are left in your state. Nobody can decide what should be done to you or for you. Without a title, you can't get your entitlement. Your identity as a brand is what determines whose priority you are. At embassies, borders and immigration stops around the world, what passport you flash determines what treatment you instantly get.
D = DIFFERENTIATE Branding differentiates you. It stands you out. It sets you aside from the pack. Consequently it makes it easy for your target audience to locate you...and patronize you.
Starting tomorrow, I will be sharing 10 steps to make a brand out of a commodity. I would also discuss the relationship between branding and entrepreneurship, Marriage, and Leadership. 
Do not forget to follow me on Instagram (@ikemba1) and twitter (@ikemba) for more content. You can also see the full length videos on YouTube. Simply type FIREBRAND MARKET.

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