A Brief History of Branding

“As marketers, we talk a lot about branding-branding websites, branding content, branding research studies, branding events. The list goes on and on. But what is branding? Not what do we mean by branding, but what does the word actually mean?

“If you don’t already know the answer, it will seem pretty obvious. The term derives from the Old Norse word brandr or “to burn,” and refers to the practice of branding livestock, which dates back more than 4,000 years to the Indus Valley. Of course, branding has evolved over the centuries-from farmers claiming their property, to artisans claiming credit for their work, to factories claiming their products, to companies claiming their products were better than others.

“What we brand, how we brand it, and why we brand it has changed. But branding in the twenty-first century is still about taking ownership, and not just for property and products. It’s about owning what your company values and represents, owning up to your shortcomings, and earning customer trust and loyalty through your words, your actions, and your stories.”