Software Branding: Introduction

Software BrandingYou can only do branding if you have a million dollars. Only big companies should brand their products and company. Branding is just about the graphic image or logotype.

Wrong, wrong and wrong again.

I just did a quick Internet search on the subject and the erroneous statements above are very common. The most common misconceptions are that it’s expensive, difficult and that it’s all about the looks.

Well I am here to tell you that when it comes to marketing software, building your product brand and company brand are among the most important things you can do.

I am going to do a series of posts about why and how to brand your company and your software, why this is important and what you should think about.

So what is Software Branding if it isn’t about the looks?

Wikipedia defines a brand as

“A brand includes a name, logo, slogan, and/or design scheme associated with a product or service. Brand recognition and other reactions are created by the use of the product or service and through the influence of advertising, design, and media commentary. A brand is a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to the product and serves to create associations and expectations around it.”

I find the last part especially interesting - “a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to the product and serves to create associations and expectations around it”.

Stephen King from WPP Group, London says: “A product is something that is made in a factory; a brand is something that is bought by a customer. A product can be copied by a competitor; a brand is unique. A product can be quickly outdated; a successful brand is timeless.” (Aaker in Managing Brand Equity, 1991)

This is the first post in a series. Let me know in the comments section below, what you think, if you have any questions, if you agree or disagree and if there is anything in particular you would like me to cover.

Filed Under Branding Software

Comments

3 Responses to “Software Branding: Introduction”

  1. Software Marketing Secrets » Six Reasons Why You Should Build Brands on December 10th, 2007 2:12 pm

    [...] I hope you have read the first part in this series; Software Branding: Introduction, and have an understanding of what I mean by brand and branding. To make a long story short I am not referring to the company/product logotype or slogan. What’s really important is the brand identity, or the associations and expectations that are connected to a brand. [...]

  2. Arun Kanojia on May 5th, 2008 8:14 am

    Hi this is Arun Kanojia from Semo Software Pvt.Ltd.
    I am working on a Business development profile as a interns and wanted to know various ways of branding your software product and services.

    Please e-mail me more details on effective branding techniques for software products and services.

    Thank You

  3. Peter Gillberg on May 5th, 2008 9:16 am

    Hello Arun,

    I wish I had time :-)

    Please follow the series on Software Branding and I will disclose as much as I have time for.

    All the best,
    Peter

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