BRAND:

1. A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s
good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.i

(American Marketing Association).

Explanation: You can consider a brand as the idea or image people have in mind when thinking
about specific products, services, and activities of a company, both in a practical (e.g. “the shoe is
light-weight”) and emotional way (e.g. “the shoe makes me feel powerful”). It is therefore not just
the physical features that create a brand but also the feelings that consumers develop towards the
company or its product. This combination of physical and emotional cues is triggered when exposed
to the name, the logo, the visual identity, or even the message communicated.

2. A brand is the combination of properties within and outside an offering that gives it an
identity and makes it distinct from others. ii

According to Kotler, a brand is a name, term, sign symbol (or a combination of these) that identifies
the maker or seller of the product.

In simple terms, a brand is the sum of all the attributes inherent to the offering, used to develop the
offering’s identity in the market.

3. “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together,
account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”
Seth Godin

Branding is not a fixed concept. It adapts and changes to reflect the market, consumer habits, and
wider environmental factors.iii

BRAND EQUITY:

1. A set of assets or liabilities in the form of brand visibility, brand associations and customer
loyalty that add or subtract from the value of a current or potential product or service driven
by the brand.” (Aacker, 1991)iv

Explanation: Put simply, brand equity represents the value of a brand. It is the simple difference
between the value of a branded product, and the value of that product without that brand name
attached to it (Rosenbaum-Elliott, 2015). v

2. Brand equity is a term used to describe the value of having a recognized brand, based on the
idea that firmly established and reputable brands are more successful. More specifically, it’s
a set of brand assets and liabilities linked to a brand name and symbol, which add to or
subtract from the value provided by a product or service. vi

David Aaker

Connecting “brand” to the concepts of “equity” and “assets” radically changed the
marketing function, enabling it to expand beyond strategic tactics and get a seat at the
executive table.
To help break down brand equity and provide details about how the term is used in the
marketing industry, we’ve outlined how it all came into place, why it’s so valuable and a
roadmap for success.
 3. Brand equity refers to a value premium that a company generates from a product with a
recognizable name when compared to a generic equivalent. Companies can create brand
equity for their products by making them memorable, easily recognizable, and superior in
quality and reliability.vii
MARTIN GESSNER

It is the ability of a company to differentiate itself from the competition by offering a superior
product or service and excellent customer service. That yields loyal customers on the one hand. It
also allows the company to charge its customers a premium for the brand and its products.

LIST OF TOP 20 BRANDS FROM GLOBAL 500 BRANDS:

Global fortune 500 brand Brand Value In 2022 Brand value in 2021
Apple 355,080M 263,375M
Amazon 350,273M 254,188M
Google 263,425M 191,215M
Microsoft 184,245M 140,435M
Walmart 111,918M 93,185M
Samsung 107,284M 102,623M
Facebook 101,201M 81,476M
IBC 75,119M 72,788M
Huawei 71,233M 55,396M
Verizon 69,639M 68,890M
China Construction Bank 65,546M 59,479M
Toyota 64,283M 67,902M
WeChat 62,303M 53,134M
Agriculture bank of China 62,031M 58,225M
Mercedes Benz 60,760M 55,203M
State Grid 60,175M 51,107M
DeutscheTelekom 60,169M
TikTok 58,980M 51,244M
Disney 57,059M 52,917M
Home Depot 56,312M 54,579M

1. Name as a brand.
 Walmart
 J.
 L’Oréal

2. Sign as a brand
 Polo Ralph Lauren
 Mastercard
 Nestle

3. Symbol as a brand
 PepsiCo
 Hermès Paris
  Starbucks

4. Design as a brand
 Louis Vuitton
 Gucci
 Burberry

5. Logo as a brand
 Facebook
 Instagram
 Intel

6. Colour as a brand
 ssss
i
https://www.thebrandingjournal.com/2015/10/what-is-branding-definition/

ii
https://www.feedough.com/what-is-brand-meaning-brand/

iii
https://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/branding-definition-for-modern-business-models/
#:~:text=%E2%80%9CA%20brand%20is%20the%20set,product%20or%20service%20over%20another.%E2%80%9D

iv
https://www.thebrandingjournal.com/2021/02/brand-equity/

vi
https://prophet.com/2013/09/156-what-is-brand-equity-and-why-is-it-valuable/

vii
https://logo.com/blog/brand-equity#:~:text=Many%20brands%20offer%20the%20same,for%20the%20same
%20feature%20set.