What makes a brand?

On Friday we were lucky enough to have guest lecturer Joe Baker come in and spend a couple of hours with us, the basis of the lecture was to talk about what makes a brand. It was so helpful to have Joe talking to us about the industry which he has and works in today.

The main points that he mentioned were:
Logo- Levi, individual
Ownership- No other brands or name similar.. Apple Mac/ Mackintosh rain coats
Colour- Heinz, teal colour is identifyed with Heinz, stands out on the shelf
Graphic Style- Font, Coca Cola is very recognisable just be the font
Shape- Cars: Audi, BMW- what defines it?
Smell- Abercrombie & Fitch, Starbucks. Tailoring for the customers needs
Touch- Materials used, quality,
Taste- Food, better quality?
Sound
Location- Where is it on the high street?
Association
Look- Dyson, different, innovative design
Uniqueness- What makes it stand out?

We were also asked to look at brand which we feel represents itself well, I chose to look at Levi Strauss & Co. The key brand characteristic's which stood out for me were:

Levi Logo- Recognisable, red square is it's identity:

Vintage Clothing- Rise in popularity, accessible in vintage stores such as COW, or online on sites such as eBay.
International Brand- Recognised in many countries, Founded 1853, with 16200 staff employed worldwide in 470 stores.
Eco Friendly- promotion of Levis being eco friendly is huge, 'Wash Cold, Line Dry', they also have launched the Water Less range which is extremely environmentally friendly.

Accessible/Interactive- Online store which has a section called curve ID, which lets you try on jeans interactively and find the 'perfect' fit without having to go into a store.
Online Store- Expanding this point e-commerce, well designed website.
Strong Advertising- Go Forth campaign, TV ads and magazine ads

Collaborations- Levi have recently teamed up with Nike to create a skateboarding range
Durable- Renown for their quality and value

I'm pleased that I picked up on several of the same/similar points which Joe has identified, I've realised that I I am able to analyse and recognise good points about the brand and which maintain and show that they can deliver to their consumers. Looking at faults of a brand and instances where they have not performed as well definitely increases my knowledge on analysing key characteristics of brands.