Brands

Just about everything we buy has a brand associated with it. There are even products called “No Name”, which means they are not associated with any particular company or could be knock-offs of a particular brand. A brand is essentially the logo a company places on the products it manufactures for sale to distinguish them from similar products on the market. It is a symbol that comes to represent the company and to differentiate it from all others.

A brand can be exhibited in five different ways, all of which combine to form a culture. These ways are through:

Logos – these are the words associated with the company, such as the McDonald’s logo which is recognized by the large M forming an arch
Fonts – the specific way letters are written or used
Color schemes – certain colors are associated with a product
Symbols – objects or pictures used to represent a name
Sound – some brands are recognized by the specific sounds associated with the advertising campaign

According to a survey done by Business Week, the top ten brands in the world are:

1. Coca – Cola this is a red circle with the words Coca Cola written over the picture of a bottle of Coke.
2. Microsoft – the word is written in large letters and is often accompanied by a slogan, such as “Where you want to go today”.
3. IBM – Block letters are written so they appear to be a series of broken lines
4. General Electric – the logo is GE, but the letters are joined together
5. Nokia – The logo is NOKIA – Connecting People
6. Toyota – A symbol used on the front of these cars with Toyota printed beneath. The symbol is three ovals intertwined to represent the trust between the company and the customer.
7. Intel – Intel is written in a circle accompanied by the slogan “Leap Ahead”.
8. McDonalds – The Big M
9. Disney – the logo is the word Disney characterized by the shape of the D
10. Mercedes-Benz – a three pointed star within a circle.

There are brands for movie studios, sports teams, airlines, clothing, footwear and so much more.