Product branding is applying the principles of brand marketing to a product. It’s the process of creating a brand identity for a product or service.

Branding a product can be a complicated and lengthy endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be. You can simply choose a logo, a name, and a color scheme.

It’s easier than you think. Designing a logo and choosing a name for your packaging can be simple.

What features make the most recognized brands so appealing?

Quality products don’t necessarily mean guaranteed sales.

Product branding is the use of a name, term, design, symbol, or other feature to identify a product and distinguish it from those of other producers.

Product branding is an essential piece of any comprehensive branding strategy. By giving your products their own life and personality, you create a stronger connection with your customers that keeps them coming back.

Well-executed branding can draw in customers and make products more recognizable, while poor branding can have the opposite effect, confusing customers and causing sales and recognition to suffer.

Let’s talk about how you can use brand marketing to your advantage.

Is Product Branding Worth the Investment?

Product Branding is, indeed, worth it.

You want to increase your sales because you want to make more profit.

Product Branding is the practice of distinguishing a product from the competition and differentiating it.

By targeting specific individuals, you’re only reaching out to the exact target market.

If you don’t invest enough in your product’s brand, you will end up with a mass of indistinguishable, mediocre offerings. Your profits will plummet.

And your sales figures will prove it.

How much should you invest in your product brand?

That will depend upon the size of your company and the profit margins for your product or service.

This part isn’t exactly difficult: big companies spend a lot of money on brand marketing. Small companies don’t.

But we’ve seen plenty of product brands with terrible branding, haven’t we? From unclear, ambiguous brand names to amateur-looking logo designs, these mistakes are all too common.

What Makes a Strong Product Brand?

Creating your own unique personal brand isn’t that hard.

Creating a great one is a whole other story.

Product Branding is not just about company logos and slogans. There’s a lot more to it than that.

There is no specific reason why, for instance, Amazon.com or google.com work so well.

Those terms are so vague that they really tell us nothing about the company.

But we would be foolish to think that Google and Amazon are not successful companies. They most definitely are.

We’ve discovered some principles for effective brand building.

These tips will help you create a strong, recognizable brand name for your product.

Product Branding – The Key to Product Branding Success

1. Branding Creates product Differentiation

When you see a Pepsi product, you can instantly tell that it belongs to the Pepsi brand family. The soda company has done a great job of differentiating its products from competitors, even internally. This is helpful for customers who want to know what they’re buying.

Even for the weirdest of products, like the new zero sugar mango drink or the discontinued crystal cola, you can tell that it’s a product from PepsiCo. It only takes a few seconds to figure this out.

You understand that there are different types of drinks, such as sodas, beers, and cokes, and that Pepsi belongs in its own category.

It’s important to differentiate yourself from your competitors. If you’re creating a brand new cola, you don’t want your can to be a solid red color with a fancy script. This will only cause more consumer confusion and dilute your brand. So it is important to do product competitor research first.

Even within your own company, it’s important to have a consistent voice.

OtterBox is a company that specializes in phone cases.

OtterBox first became popular for its line of phone cases, specifically the Defender and Commuter models.

The Otterbox brand is known for its tough, rugged cases that protect smartphones from almost anything.

The commuter is a slim but durable case for the iPhone 6. It’s ideal for people who commute to work.

Most consumers aren’t confused by the differences between these three terms.

But things got even worse when newer models, such as Aneu, were released.

Some of these are obvious, but not all of them.

The differences just aren’t as significant.

2. A Strong Product Brand (or Sub-brand) Narrows Itself to a Submarket

Let’s dive deeper into how PepsiCo sells its products.

When we see a product called “Pepsi Zero”, we know that there is no actual “sugar” in the drink.

At first, people might think that this is a bad idea.

This limits those who don’t want artificial sweeteners from buying the product.

Narrowing your target audiences down to a sub-market is a great way to make your brand more recognizable.

So, the soft drink company, PepsiCo, actually makes some great products.

It’s targeting a very specific market, one that wants to consume a soda that tastes similar to a cola.

3. A Strong Product Brand Illustrates the Product

In the end, great product branding gives consumers a clear understanding of the product from its packaging.

The packaging of a product works together to create a sense of unity.

The packaging design on a bag of chips is a dead giveaway that we’re dealing with a potato chip.

The clear packaging and imagery of Ruffles potato chips easily let consumers know what the product is. The catchphrase “Ruffles Have Ridges” drives home that this is a chip brand, and leaves no room for misunderstanding.

The saying “ruffles have ridges” helps eliminate any confusion.

Some of The Successful Product Branding Examples

We’ve covered a few ways to create effective brand messaging for your product.

Here are a few more product branding examples examples to get you thinking.

Apple: MacBook Air/Pro

Any post or article discussing great product brands is likely to mention Apple, as the company is renowned for its high profits and popular products.

But what about brand positioning?

The company has had successes and failures.

The Macbook Air and Pro are both great laptops. Let’s examine why.

So, the MacBook Air is a thin and light laptop while the MacBook Pro is a professional-grade device. Both are Macs, so you know you’re getting a great computer.

And that’s just the beginning.

Product imagery is important in reinforcing the points above and creating additional interest. Advertising slogans also play a role in this by helping to create an emotional connection with the product.

Equate: Anything and Everything

This is a bit surprising, but we think it makes sense.

Equate is Wal-Mart’s own brand of health and hygiene products.

The logo and packaging design are both uninteresting.

You might think it’s odd that “call to action” is on a “product brand” checklist.

But before you jump in, think about the purpose of your product.

Cheaper alternatives are not always reliable, but this one is. You can trust that this product will work just as well as the more expensive options.

By maintaining a consistently branded image, Equate has been able to create a highly successful product line.

Equate products are easily recognizable to consumers, even if they don’t bring about feelings of joy.

The different product lines allow the company to reach specific target markets.

Starbucks: Packaged Coffees

Another well-known company, like Apple, is Starbucks.

The text implies that the coffees are successful in terms of their branding.

The quality of Starbucks’ products, especially their pre-packaged coffees, is a reflection of the company’s reputation for quality.

Consumers can trust that they will get a strong cup of coffee when they order from Starbucks. Some might say the coffee is burnt, but it is always consistent in taste.

How Does Product Branding Differ from Corporate Branding?

The purer forms of advertising are standalone products. They use the corporation’s name in their brand name – they are one in the same.

It can get confusing when companies have multiple products or brands.

The branding of the company focuses on innovation, being a leader, and targeting specific products. Each product line has its own identity, allowing customers to more easily identify them.

Branding is the overall image that your company portrays. This includes your company logo, colors, and fonts.

Product brands try to be different and unique from other brands to appeal to consumers. They do this by tailoring their branding specifically to the product. This makes the product stand out from others in its niche.

Some companies choose to brand their products, giving them unique names. Others prefer to simply give their product the same name as their company.

Companies that manufacture and sell a wide variety of products, such as Pampers and Tide, often choose to create separate brand identities for each one. This allows them to have unique visual and character traits, separate from their parent company.

A product is a brand in and of itself. However, it’s different than a corporate or parent company. A product has its own personality and visual style.

Why is product branding important?

Product branding is important because it helps create customer loyalty and repeat purchases. Branding also allows businesses to charge a premium price for their products. Strong branding can also help a product stand out in a crowded marketplace.

 Branding helps to create initial and continued consumer interest, and can play a role in determining the price consumers are willing to pay for the product. It can also help to build customer loyalty and encourage repeat purchases.

Conclusion

So, what is product branding? Product branding means creating a name, symbol, or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products.

As you can see, product branding is a powerful marketing tool that can help your products stand out from the competition and build customer loyalty. If you’re not already using it to promote your business, now is the time to start!