Brand Image

Brand image is the current perception that consumers and the public have of a brand.

It is the complex of feelings, associations, and expectations that people have developed about a company or product based on their direct and indirect experiences, marketing communications, word of mouth, and media representations. Brand image is formed over time and can be influenced by a variety of factors, including product or service quality, advertising campaigns, customer service, influencer opinions, and social media presence.

Brand image is closely related to brand identity, which is the set of elements that a company intentionally establishes to represent its brand values and offerings: while brand identity is constructed by the company and represents what the company actively communicates and aspires to be in the minds of consumers, brand image is the actual resonance of those efforts in the public. Therefore, brand identity is a reflection of how consumers actually see the brand, which may or may not align with the identity the company seeks to project.

Both of these processes converge in branding, which is the strategy through which companies seek to develop and maintain brand identity and influence brand image, working to align brand image with brand identity and to ensure that public perception accurately reflects the values and messages the company intends to communicate.