In our daily life, we often get asked why branding matters. For many, brand is not something that's easily understood, and for good reason; it's complicated! So what is it and why does it matter according to us? Read on to find out…

Branding is the art and science of building authenticity around an organization to purposefully align with an audience. Brand goes beyond the core tangible goods or services a company may offer and connotes the total experience that happens when one chooses to associates with a given company – it's how it talks, looks, acts and makes them feel. An individual only chooses to patronize a brand because of the assumed experience they believe is associated with it. This assumed experience comes as much from the quality of the offering as it does from the way an organization communicates and controls its brand.

Brands are living experiences that connote a unique culture. Whether this is tactfully planned or not, brands embody both a company's baseline offerings as well as the entire experience surrounding it. This experience should be consistent and well-thought, aligning with core beliefs, values and positioning strategies. When a brand experience is stewarded effectively, an organization stands to create strong and lasting connections with its audience as it identifies with their values, beliefs, needs, wants and lifestyle. When the brand experience is not planned or controlled, it can create an inconsistent experiences that lacks definition, memorability and in some cases even alienate the customer.

Establishing and maintaining emotional alignment must be done from first contact and maintained all throughout the relationship. Communications must extend from a central branding strategy and actively speak to a defined experience. The first impression a potential audience member will have with a company is most likely going to involve limited exposure to marketing, advertising or sales materials, making it crucial to have these speak from the heart of the brand with a definitive message. Audience-facing materials must err of authenticity and align with the central brand values from logo to website. Finally, the brand strategy must extend into the infrastructure of the company from the way business is conducted to how employees interact with each other.

If an audience touchpoint is misaligned with a company's brand promise, it will create a negative disconnect between the organization and its audience – This alone isn't always enough to bring down a brand, but without applied focus, brands cannot excel. People more than ever are seeking companies they can connect with on a level beyond simply fulfilling a need and the brand experience is what sets companies apart.

So why should a company take their brand seriously? Because it is the first hand-shake with a potential customer that can begin a relationship with honesty and intent. It is the image and voice of a company when no one is around to speak for it. Because, branding allows many parts of a company to speak with one voice. Most importantly, brand gives control over the customers' perception of a company so they know exactly what they are getting, and defines the very experience therein.