Inspiring Brand Quotes From the Top Business Leaders
These inspiring quotes about business and branding from the world's business leaders will provide the motivation and guidance you need to build a memorable brand.
As a business leader, you understand the crucial role a strong brand plays in the success of your company.
You know your brand is more than just a logo or slogan - it's an identity, reputation, and perception. It's the foundation of your business and your most valuable asset.
But how do you create a brand that truly resonates with your audience and sets you apart?
The key is to have a clear and meaningful purpose that guides everything you do.
Brands that take a stand have a better prospect of winning the hearts and minds of consumers, which leads to sustainable growth.
Take inspiration from some of the world's top business leaders and study how they've defined, created, and built their brands.
Don't be afraid to look beyond your industry for ideas - the more you expose yourself to different perspectives, the more you will uncover valuable insights for your brand.
Don't forget the importance of a solid brand strategy. It's easy to get caught up in the details of product and marketing, but a well-thought-out brand strategy from the start is crucial for businesses of all sizes.
Find inspiration with these inspiring quotes about branding and business from successful leaders and entrepreneurs
“Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business.” - Steve Forbes, Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Magazine.
Marketing is what grabs people’s attention. Branding is what keeps them coming back for more.
Your brand is one of the most important long-term investments your company can make—one that, if done properly, will yield returns over the lifetime of your business.
Think of your brand as your company’s most valuable asset. If you want to boost the value of your company, then boost your brand.
“A brand is a living entity - and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures.” - Michael Eisner, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company.
Every time people enter into contact with your brand, they either have a good or bad experience which will inevitably increase or decrease your brand’s value in their eyes.
Great experiences could lead to more sales whereas bad experiences could lead to losing customers.
Brands that constantly deliver great experiences, both big and small, are the ones who come on top.
“If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.” Howard Schultz, Starbucks.
People today can identify with your brand more than ever. The opposite also rings true.
They have so much information about you at their fingerprints that if they don’t share your values, or appreciate the way you conduct business, they won’t stick around for long.
There is a clear connection between brand values and brand loyalty. When people share your values and beliefs, they connect to who you are and what you’re doing on a deep level.
They keep coming back because they know that what you offer is unique and they won’t find that anywhere else.
It’s very important to showcase your values through your brand, to keep people like you around and attract more of them.
“Your brand is not what you sell.” - Jon Iwata, SVP of Marketing & Communications at IBM.
Don’t define your brand by the products you make or sell. Start branding. Start selling your brand.
Tell your brand story.
Sell your belief system, your purpose, your values, what you stand for, the position you take in the world, why you exist in the first place, and what makes you, you.
Let people experience your brand. And your brand will take care of business.
Do you believe selling happens at the branding level? I do!
“People don’t buy what you do they buy why you do it.” - Simon Sinek, Start With Why brand strategy model.
Think about it, with all the options out there, what makes people come back for more is your values and what you stand for, not what you do. Because frankly, there is a small chance that the product or service you offer is that unique.
“Your brand is not what you say it is, it’s what they say it is.” - Marty Neumeier.
Your brand is your story. There is no doubt about it. But inevitably it is defined by what people say about you. Each person creates his or her version of your brand.
As a result, a brand is based on its reputation. While you can’t control that process, you can influence how people think and feel about your brand.
How?
Well, think hard about how you want to make them feel. Because every action you take should be laser-focused on building that feeling while answering who you are, why you exist, and why they should care.
With time and dedication, you will build your reputation.
“Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves.” - Steve Jobs, Apple.
To tell (and give) people what they desire and need, you must first discover what that is. And that requires investigation and planning.
Find out what your ideal target audience is like, how these people feel, think, and behave, and act accordingly.
The best way to achieve this is to live your customer’s lifestyle.
“Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room.” - Jeff Bezos, Amazon.
Make sure to always bring your “A”game and to act in ways that give people only good things to say about you (and your brand) when you’re not there!
“Products are made in a factory but brands are created in the mind.” - Walter Landor.
A brand is a set of associations that are created in our minds when we interact with the elements that make up that brand. It’s the feelings we get throughout that experience.
Brands have no control over these feelings and associations, but they can positively influence them.
“Your culture is your brand.” - Tony Hsieh, Zappos.
The brand and culture of a company are interconnected. They affect each other. For your brand to thrive, get your company culture right.
To do that, ensure that what you say on the outside is aligned with who you are on the inside.
Identify those values you will not compromise on and brand your culture. It will help determine the conduct of your employees.
In the case of Zappos, they built their brand by creating a culture focused on high-quality customer service. And it worked!
“When people use your brand name as a verb, that is remarkable.” - Meg Whitman.
The power of a brand as a verb is tremendous.
There is something unique about it. Some believe it is the ultimate compliment.
The benefits of being on top of people’s minds are high. The risks of becoming generic and losing identity are low. That’s why companies acquire trademarks, after all.
Why are some brands used as verbs and others not? Is that a question of popularity or significance?
Amazon is the most valuable brand in the world, but we don’t use Amazon as a verb. The same is true for very successful companies like Apple or Nike.
When a brand name becomes a verb it translates directly to why the brand exists and what it does.
Google was designed to find the world’s information online.
Now Google is so ubiquitous that we say “Google it” for conducting online research. Brands as verbs demonstrates a personal connection between users and brands.
Here are a few examples:
Instagram your favorite photos;
PayPal for sending money to a friend;
Tweet for sending a message on Twitter;
FedEx for shipping a package;
Uber for getting a ride to work.
What brand names do you use as verbs in your daily conversations?
“Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.” - Paul Rand.
The idea that “Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.” was put forward by Paul Rand – the famous graphic designer and Modernist master.
In a way, we are all ambassadors of our brand. Design in a similar manner represents what a brand stands for.
It is said that design is thinking made visual. Good design consists of clarity of purpose and communicates your brand’s values visually.
Like a good story, you want to make sure your brand design is making a statement.
“A brand’s strength is built upon its determination to promote its own distinctive values and mission.” - Jean-Noel Kapferer.
The keywords here are determination, distinctive, and values.
When people believe they share values with a brand, they stay loyal, which makes the perfect recipe for a strong brand.
Looking for transformative brand strategies and ideas? Get in touch!
Most people are capable of creating a service or product, but only willing and determined business leaders know how to create an effective brand.
Bastien Frediani
LinkedIn: in/creativebrandstrategist
Email: strategy@thinkbastien.com
Bastien Frediani is the founder and strategist of ThinkBastien, a strategy studio that helps bridge the gap between vision and audience.