The power of marketing has made many a product. A strong name and slick logo have been the difference between success and failure with countless products, often products that were manufactured in the same factory but branded with different names.

Few of today’s strong brands started out with their own factories; they bought production from factories prepared to manufacture and brand based on their customers’ wishes. The road to success was the marketing and branding strategies adopted.

The name has become critical; there are examples of a brand whose success has been based purely on name recognition without having any quality advantage over its competitors. The example of buying factory production, initially almost exclusively in the Far East is proof enough. The products involved were many of the fashion and footwear products established today. The entrepreneur who saw the emergence of a more liberal society and the increasing independence of youth from the Sixties onwards soon found products the new society craved.

The strength of a brand name is only as good as its ongoing business strategy and promotion. The days of the internet and satellite television have made the World such a small place; one big market where there is the opportunity to reach that market instantly.

“Celebrity” culture has made the use of prominent people from sport, film and media instantly recognizable. Many brands have decided to use these celebrities to reinforce their brands because of the positivity they project; it comes at a price the consumer seems willing to pay because the brand is so fashionable.

A company needs to create a logo which represents the brand; there is rarely the need for words, the logo is instantly recognisable. The company name becomes almost irrelevant, it is the brands it owns that are the key to its business success. The acquisition of strong brands has been a regular feature of the business world for many years now. Only those people directly concerned in commerce might know the Brand “X” is owned by a particular company; the general public will neither know nor care about brand ownership. Their loyalty is the important factor for the company, the product and its “status” the important factor for the consumer.

There are examples of brands which have collapsed, sometimes even because of a foolish word. A well known jewellery brand is a good example as its CEO made a foolish joke questioning its quality and by definition demeaning its customers. Such occasions are rare if the brand strategy is always in mind.