A "brand- is not a thing, a product, a company or an organization. A brand does not exist in the physical world "it is a mental construct. A brand can best be described as the sum total of all human experiences, perceptions and feelings about a particular thing, product or organization. Brands exist in the consciousness "of individuals and of the public.
"James R. Gregory, "Leveraging the Corporate Brand-.
A brand is not an icon, a slogan, or a mission statement. It is a promise "a promise your company can keep. This is the promise you make and keep in every marketing activity, every action, every corporate decision, every customer interaction.
"Kristin Zhivago, "Business Marketing-.
The brand name, Taj, itself, suggests affluence, grandeur, splendour, opulence and luxury. Carrying the magnificience of the monument, Taj Mahal, the word Taj is deeply rooted in the hearts of all Indians. The people world-over relate the word Taj with India. The next thing was to deliver what the Taj' promised. The Taj over the last hundred years has played a major part in shaping India as a destination both for tourist and business travellers. Long before the strategic importance of hospitality was recognised for the economic growth of the nation, the Taj had become synonymous with the best in the world of Indian hospitality.
The brand is a hotel company's most public face, as such, a brand itself usually attracts 80 per cent of all marketing efforts, allowing for customer recognition, repeat business and word-of-mouth marketing.
Branding, then, is the process of making products and companies into brands. Branding is the consistent and disciplined way a brand's essence is communicated to the public "employees, shareholders, vendors, and customers. An adjunct is "brand development,"" the process of identifying and establishing the brand's essence and identity.
The difference between branding and brand development is that branding is a long-term process consisting of the tactics used to deliver a brand's distinction and brand development is the discovery process used to find that distinction.