Branding: From a commercial perspective

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JOHN NOBLE is Director of the British Brands Group, a membership organisation that provides the collective voice for brand manufacturers in the UK. The Group was founded 11 years ago to promote the values and benefits of brands to consumers, the economy and society, as well as to represent brand manufacturers on policy issues. Through its lectures, research studies, conferences, publications and briefings, the Group is committed to deepening understanding among those who make and shape public policy of the contribution of brands to the quality of people’s everyday lives and the success of the economy. It is part of a network of similar organisations across Europe and represents AIM, the European Brands Association, in the UK. John is a chartered marketer and, prior to joining the British Brands Group, followed a marketing career that started with British Airways before moving into marketing consultancy with Marketing Solutions. He then became Head of Marketing for Hamptons, a property company, and Bristol & West International.

Abstract Ask someone to distinguish a trade mark from a brand and there may be a problem; for some, the two are synonymous. To others, while they may know what a brand is, they may find it hard to define one. This paper explains brands and looks at the similarities and differences they have with trade marks. It explores the reasons why companies are prepared to spend large fortunes building — and then protecting — their brands and the benfits that can accrue as a result, to both the company and its customers, when things go well. When brands come under attack, intellectual property rights, one might think, are ideally suited to protect them but it is clear they are not fully up to the task and brand owners must seek protection from a patchwork of disparate laws, some of which are ill-suited to the purpose. The paper concludes with a look at the wider social and economic contribution of brands and questions how well they are really understood.

John Noble British Brands Group, 8 Henriette Place, London W1G 0NB, UK Tel: +44 (0)7020 934250 Fax: +44 (0)7020 934252 E-mail: [email protected]

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Even within companies, people understand brands differently. In legal departments, ‘brand’ tends to be synonymous with ‘trade marks’, those registered, distinctive words, shapes, colours and sounds that clearly distinguish one product, service or company from another. Others in the company may understand the brand to be the corporate identity or logo, a view reinforced when companies go through ‘re-branding’ exercises. Certainly there is a myriad of definitions of ‘brand’ and the web is as good a place to find them as any. A visit to the knowledge hub at www.cim.co.uk is a starter. But how many of these definitions actually help those in com-

panies build and manage their brands more effectively? How many give a framework of understanding, and bring motivation to everyone in an organisation to orient their actions to brand building? It does not help that a brand actually is not anything to be

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