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BY DESIGN

Competing in the marketplace is like competing in sports. You have to master the fundamentals of the game before you can expect to win. It follows that if companies want to score big in the rough-and-tumble world of brand marketing, then they first need to understand the definition of a brand. As basic as that sounds, some marketers -- including those in the big leagues -- may not fully grasp the

Competing in the marketplace is like competing in sports. You have to master the fundamentals of the game before you can expect to win. It follows that if companies want to score big in the rough-and-tumble world of brand marketing, then they first need to understand the definition of a brand. As basic as that sounds, some marketers -- including those in the big leagues -- may not fully grasp the importance of all of a brand's elements.

Contrary to what many think, a brand is not a product, a name on a soda can, or a logo on a cereal box. Instead, a brand is the sum of many parts: nomenclature (name), positioning, trademark, trade dress and messages communicated about the brand.

To consumers, a brand is a perception. They select one brand over another because it communicates quality or value. They trust that these attributes will be delivered consistently every time. This belief, in turn, builds brand loyalty and repeat business.

A strong brand identity will generate instant recognition and promise in consumers' minds. For example, people trust Quaker products because the famous Quaker man and blue-and-red trade dress trigger a perception of wholesomeness and quality.

How can you build strong brand identity for your products? How can you protect your brand identity from the competition? And how can you manage your brand identity to build equity? The answers to these questions can be found by looking at the elements of a brand:

· Positioning is a brand's reason for being, its personality. Many products have failed simply because they were not positioned properly. To avoid this fate, companies must take into account the three "Ws" of positioning: why the brand exists, who the audience is and what benefits distinguish the brand from others.

· Nomenclature, or name, is the foundation of a brand. With the cost of launching a new brand ranging from $50 million to $150 million, and a success rate of only 25%, creating a strong, protectable brand name is becoming more critical -- and difficult -- than ever.

What's in a name? Potentially millions of dollars, as demonstrated by the financial value of some of the world's most powerful brands: Marlboro ($31 billion), Coca-Cola ($24 billion), Kodak ($12.8 billion) and Pepsi ($9.6 billion). Financial World magazine has reported that public companies with strong brand names outperform the overall market.

· Trademark is the visual personality of the brand name. When a trademark is well-designed, consumers feel good about the symbol; the mark becomes an icon for their entire experience.

· Trade dress is the combination of elements -- nomenclature, symbols, size, shape, color, type style, graphics, package configuration -- that together create a distinct look for a product. Quality and consistency in the use of trade dress and trademark are critical to building brand equity.

With more and more companies expanding internationally, trade dress is becoming an increasingly important ingredient of success in the global marketplace. Effective trade dress crosses language and cultural barriers. We might not be able to read the words Coca-Cola and Hershey's Chocolates in Chinese, but we would recognize the distinctive trade dress of these brands anywhere.

"Dressing for success" also means that package design contains elements that are legally protectable. My next column will focus more on this issue.

· Brand communications include advertising, sales brochures, publicity, merchandising, uniforms, trucks and other methods of visual communication that replicate the visual theme that appears on the packaging. Brand communications create further awareness of the brand and reinforce its positioning.

Each of these elements should work together with the others to create a coherent whole. Companies that find the right combination will be the "teams" to beat on today's supermarket shelves.

Elinor Selame is president of Package Design Council International and president of BrandEquity International, a visual communications and brand-identity consulting firm based in Newton, Mass.