Branding is an important marketing tool used to stimulate recognition for a product, service or an organisation. The process of branding is all about enhancing the personality and reputation of a company’s products and services.

Brands are very much differentiated from their competitors by the customers and they are even willing to pay premium price for possession of a brand. The term brand equity refers to how a brand is being valued in terms of awareness, perceived quality and loyalty. The term brand image refers to the set of beliefs that the customers hold about a particular brand.

Here we introduce you to different types of branding.

Regional brand

A brand unique to a particular region and is also called as local brand.

Ex. Thirunelveli Halwa, Guruvayur Papad.

Global brand

A brand with world wide recognition.

Ex. GE, Coke, Gillete

E- brand

The brands in the e-commerce and e-business arena.

Ex. Amazon, Alibaba, Citibank e-card

Private Label brand

Also referred to as an in store brand, which a retailer has launched using his own label.

Ex. Mostly with respect to food items

Premium brand

Brands with excellence in quality and features.

Ex. Nike in Sports Shoes, Dove in Soaps

Generic brand

A brand which becomes generic and no longer remains a brand.

Ex. Dalda vanaspati, Xerox photocopier.

Personal brand

The brand a person builds around himself to enhance his career opportunities, be it in the field of academics, sports, politics, music or art.

Ex. Jenny Blake through website and social media.

Attitude brand

Involves marketing a larger feeling and contributes to consumer’s sense of identity and self expression.

Ex. Apple, BMW

Co-brand

A marketing relationship or partnership between two different brands.

Ex. Master Card and Virgin, SBI Card and Air India.

Multiple brand

The marketing of two or more competing products under different brand names, belonging to the same company

Ex. 7 UP and Mountain Dew

Sub- brand

When a main brand creates a subsidiary or secondary brand to reach new audience.

Ex. FedEx Corporation and FedEx Express

 Challenger brand

It is neither a brand which is the market leader nor a niche brand. However it is said to have great ambitions beyond its resources with intentions to bring great changes in the industry.

Ex. Linux