I was asked today for the definition of "brand." Wow. Not an easy one to answer. So I turned to Google and found this definition from the famous David Ogilvy:

[A brand definition is…] the intangible sum of a product’s attributes: its name, packaging, and price, its history, its reputation, and the way it’s advertised.

With all due respect to brand guru Ogilvy, but methinks branding is about way more than just these elements. Not only that - people, professions, groups and organizations have brands, too. Branding is no longer the domain of just products. In Mr. Ogilvy’s defense, I assume this is a very old quote and that his perspectives have evolved since then.

Here’s my attempt to define this complex, deep and all-encompassing beast:

A brand is a multifaceted, strategic asset of an organization and the sum of many disparate parts. It is the experience, perception and reputation of an organization’s underlying values and beliefs, personality and behaviour. It also comprises the name and visual mark by which an organization is recognized.

Probably a bit clunky for a definition but heck, how do you sum up what constitutes a brand? Even a product brand is more complex in my opinion - its usability and quality, availability and recyclability are all components of its brand. We’ve become much more sophisticated in our thinking about brands these days. Just think about how the "employer brand" has recently landed on our radar. Not to mention the even newer notion of "leadership brand."

I think we’re realizing the pervasiveness of brand and are only just beginning to appreciate its power.