Branding - Is there a real ROI or is it just a Gimmick?

Many new entrepreneurs and small business owners completely misunderstand the meaning of the word "brand" and therefore misunderstand "branding."

Brand is NOT your Logo, your product name nor your tagline. These things are tactics for creating a brand identity. But a Brand and a Brand Identity are NOT the same thing.

However, you can not have a brand if you do not have a brand identity.

What is a brand? A brand is the mental reaction that the general public has to being exposed to your brand identity.

The words "Chevrolet" and "Mercedes Benz" are brand identities. The reaction which you have when you read those two words is the brand.

So? Are brands really important or are they just a gimmick?

Having a good brand is much more important than having current inventory!!!!!!!!

A good brand can recover from a financial disaster, faster than any competitor with no brand or a bad brand.

Brad VanAuken wrote "The Business Impact of Strong Brands."