Branding is not LOGO, Branding is not that beautiful graphic design of your product, Branding is not posting on social media everyday. It's not about registering your business with CAC. Collectively, and even more, they are part of the branding process, but not as a stand alone.
Why all the above help to concretize branding, it doesn't entirely represent the idea of what I call branding. To me, branding is more of an experience and perception. This is why I love my Lagos people. I've lived in all the major cities in Nigeria and I can confidently tell you that no people understand branding more than Lagos people. Branding is about what people think about you, even when you're not there. How they feel whenever they remember you. The confidence they have in you and your ability to deliver. For 4 years, I owned and managed a service based brand without ever showing my face. None of our clients ever knew me. Yet, people trust us with millions. People trust us with their entire digital assets. In fact, people gave me access to their ATM Card details without ever having to see my face.
Why so?
Because branding is about perception. It's more of an intangible association than tangible. You must see branding beyond merely having a beautiful LOGO with a fine color. A beautiful girl with a bad character will soon turn to an ugly and lonely girl. Your customers will appreciate more the feelings they have about you than anything else. Invest in your makeup kit, but never forget to brush your teeth before talking. Never forget that your beautiful face can easily be ruined by an offensive odor from you.
