When most people think of the word, “brand”, they think of the Nike Swoosh, Ford “blue oval,” McDonalds Golden Arches, or the “State Farm is There” jingle. They know what theywill get with a wellbranded product or service as promised. Think of Volvo, for instance, and your first thoughts are probably something like “well built, comfortable, Swedish” and, most of all, “safety”.

So a brand is a lot more than a logo, icon, or slogan. Catchy as it may sound, it isn’t the “brand” in the true sense—and it certainly isn’t what makes the brand valuable.A company’s brand is a promise. It’s a description of the company’s character. To some extent, it’s a mission; it’s how the company creates and delivers value. Also, it’s the feeling the company conveys to its stakeholders. Successful brands meet various challenges and consistently deliver on their promises, which is how they create brand value.To illustrate it, here are some brand promises from three highly successful, world-wide brands:The NFL: “To be the premier sports and entertainment brand that brings people together, connecting them socially and emotionally like no other.”Coca-Cola: “To inspire moments of optimism and uplift.”VirginAtlantic: “To be genuine, fun, contemporary, and different in everything we do at a reasonable price.”

Interesting. In none of the above cases does the brand promise describe what these companies do or provide. The NFL’s brand promise says nothing about football. Coca-Cola doesn’t talk about providing the best soft drinks in the world. And Virgin Atlantic’s promise goes a lot farther than seating passengers in its aircrafts.

Of course, a promise is nowhere near enough. The promise along with look, personality, time, money, and hard work combined can eventually help to build and maintain great brands and acquire a special patina(光泽) of what I call “me” appeal, showing my personal appetite. Apple has that patina. All of this can lead to sub-brands, like iPhone and iPad which acquire the glory of the parent brand.

Sometimes a brand is memorable because of little things. TD Bank has a special place in their branches for you to deposit all those coins you collect in jars. It is called the Penny Arcade that turns depositing your coins into a fun game in which you can even win prizes. Years ago, Dime Savings Bank in New York had a small dime(十分硬币) carrier. It was given to kids and then they’d fill up its 50 slots (投币口) with a dime in each one and bring it to exchange for a $5 bill.