We believe that a company’s brand is the value promise they make to their customers.  Branding should be all about ensuring the consistent fulfillment of the value promise in everything the company does.  Once that is achieved, it is also important to develop a brand image (logo, naming, color scheme, “look and feel”, etc.) that adds credibility to and supports the value promise.  It is also important that brand communication (through collateral, advertising, sponsorships, etc.) convey the value promise to the marketplace in a consistent fashion, so as to not confuse the message.  Positioning is defining the unique universe of customers (markets) for which your offering applies, and aligning the “whole product” solution required to serve the needs of that universe.  Differentiation is clarifying what makes your offerings better than those from others who solve similar problems for the same universe.  We also believe that differentition can only take place on an individual basis, not contrived through messaging or products.  While defining an appropriate brand image and ensuring consistent brand communication can be important and useful activities, they are a complete waste of time if they are not based on a value promise that is attainable (based on the companies fulfillment capabilities), relevant (to your target stakeholders), and differentiated (from your major competitors).  Image and communication are also a waste of time if the company does not make the consistent fulfillment of the value promise (across all aspects of the company) a top operational priority.