To understand the enormous potential of branding we must first, try to define branding. It is still a work in progress for most. As much as it is a consumer tangible, it's equally important to note that it's an internal structure that keeps everyone focused on the reason to rally behind the company's products, goals & culture. It's a mechanism for efficiencies. It's crafting an effective go-to-market strategy that has meaning. Not empty promises. It's investing in your employees to release their potential. It's communicating effectively to the entire organization about the reasons to believe. It's accelerating customer commitment. It's understanding the customer like no other. It's investing in innovative customer solutions.

Second, make sure to keep the customer at the heart of everything you do. No reason not to reexamine internal processes that have taken a priority over customer needs. No reason why we should be tampering with cheapening ingredients that have made our products a success in the marketplace.

Building a brand is a long term endeavor where significant resources must be supporting the end goal. Hint: Sales! It doesn't stop every time the market sees a downturn. As a matter of fact, this is where the winners will come from. They know that when things start to "zig", you've got to "zag".

So buckle up you brand marketers, sales growth will happen when you get busy and dig in to understand the customer, their needs and shape your organization to meet those needs. That's "Brand Aid" to the rescue.

Excerpts from Linkedin.com discussion:

Nic Stover - Chief Marketing Officer and Partner at PrimeTYME Media, LLC

Is Branding Dead? Should it be?

The economy has altered everything. What, in your opinion, has it done to the great branding tsunami?

Personally, I am leery of trends to the extent of being downright argumentative--I know, hard to believe, eh--and the brand band wagon was no different. Not that it's principals weren't sound--they were and still are today. What got me worked up on the brand discussions was that it seemed to be so hard for so many people to understand. Hundreds--nay, thousands--of books and articles were written on the subject. Conference after conference were dedicated to this one very important subject. Everyone was chatting it up, but very few people seemed to understand it, much less make it work. We even talked about those who "got it," and those who didn't.

But ever since the recession/depression hammer dropped and the world changed, I haven't heard much more about branding than the few reminiscent echoes.

So, back to my question. Is branding dead? Should it be, or should it be transformed?

Dave Wohlner • I could write volumes on this subject. So instead, let's get to the heart of the question. Is branding dead? No! To understand the enormous potential of branding we must first, try to define branding. It is still a work in progress for most. As much as it is a consumer tangible, it's equally important to note that it's an internal structure that keeps everyone focused on the reason to rally behind the company's products, goals & culture. It's a mechanism for efficiencies. It's crafting an effective go-to-market strategy that has meaning. Not empty promises. It's investing in your employees to release their potential. It's communicating effectively to the entire organization about the reasons to believe. It's accelerating customer commitment. It's understanding the customer like no other. It's investing in innovative customer solutions.

Second, make sure to keep the customer at the heart of everything you do. No reason not to reexamine internal processes that have taken a priority over customer needs. No reason why we should be tampering with cheapening ingredients that have made our products a success in the marketplace.

Building a brand is a long term endeavor where significant resources must be supporting the end goal. Hint: Sales! It doesn't stop every time the market sees a downturn. As a matter of fact, this is where the winners will come from. They know that when things start to "zig", you've got to "zag".

So buckle up you brand marketers, sales growth will happen when you get busy and dig in to understand the customer, their needs and shape your organization to meet those needs. That's "Brand Aid" to the rescue.