A brand is a set of associations…

A brand often used to mean the name or logo of a business. While this is true - A brand is more than the name or visual element used to represent your company. It is the emotional and psychological associations that a person makes with your business, product or service.

These associations represent at least two things: your business name and the perception of what that name means to your customer or client. This perception grows out of every experience people have with your business. The brand experience of your company can be actively promoted.

Understanding what 'brand' means gives clarity to the value of branding. If brand is a set of associations involving perceptions and experiences, then branding means taking control and planning the experiences you want your clients to have.