Branding - Notebook
Brand = what people think & feel about you when you’re not there
A brand lives in:
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Memory
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Emotion
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Trust
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Expectations
Product → what you sell
Brand → why people choose you again
Simple Formula
Strong brand gives you:
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Higher price
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Repeat customers
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Lower marketing cost
-
Faster trust (especially in e-commerce)
Weak brand = constant discount + low loyalty
Quietly Powerful
◉ Trust is built through repetition, not perfection
◉ Brands win when they become habitual
◉ The strongest brands reduce mental effort
A strong brand feels like a shortcut for the brain.
Sumary
- Understood brand as emotion
- Identified trust beyond features
- Are thinking in brand language now
Most people say:
“Our product is good, so brand will grow”
❌ Wrong.
These are three different things:
🔹 Product
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What you sell
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Features, price, quality
-
Can be copied easily
🔹 Brand
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What people expect before using you
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Emotional + psychological
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Lives in the customer’s mind
🔹 Reputation
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What people say after experience
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Reviews, word of mouth
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Can change fast (good or bad)
Simple Table (memorize)
| Thing | Controlled by | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Company | Now |
| Brand | Market perception | Long-term |
| Reputation | Customers | Fast |
Sumary
- A good product can fail
- A strong brand can survive mistakes
Brands buy forgiveness.
🧠 Key Takeaway
Product makes first sale
Brand makes second sale
Reputation decides how long you survive
Reputation
Reputation = what people say about you after they use you
Not your ads.
Not your promises.
Not your logo.
It’s the story that travels without you.
One-line version
Brand is what you promise.
Reputation is whether people believe you.
Key Difference (Very Important)
| Brand | Reputation |
|---|---|
| Built by marketing | Built by experience |
| Slow to change | Fast to change |
| What you say | What others say |
| Promise | Proof |
🔥 Hard Truth
You can buy ads for brand.
You cannot buy reputation.
🧠 Think This Way
When someone asks:
“Is this shop good?”
And the answer is:
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“Yes, safe”
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“No, avoid”
That answer = reputation
Why People Pay More for Brands
They pay more for:
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Reduced risk
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Status
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Confidence
-
Belonging
🧴 Shampoo
| Brand | Price | Reality |
|---|---|---|
| Local shampoo | ৳180 | Works |
| Sunsilk | ৳350 | Also works |
Why pay more?
Because Sunsilk:
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Feels safe
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Feels modern
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Feels “tested”
That feeling = Brand premium
Psychology Behind Paying More
🔹 1. Risk Reduction
“If it’s famous, it won’t embarrass me”
People fear:
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Wasting money
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Looking foolish
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Bad experience
Brands reduce fear.
🔹 2. Status & Identity
People don’t buy iPhone.
They buy:
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“I’m premium”
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“I’m professional”
Brand = social signal.
🔹 3. Mental Shortcut
Strong brands:
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Reduce thinking
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Save time
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Feel obvious
“Just buy Nike” → no research needed.
🔥 Important Pricing Rule
Price is part of branding
Cheap price sends message:
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Low quality
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Risky
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Temporary
High price sends message:
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Confidence
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Authority
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Stability
🧠 Key Takeaway
People don’t compare prices.
They compare feelings.
Core Truth (5 minutes)
If you target everyone, you connect with no one.
Strong brands are specific.
Bad audience definition:
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“All people”
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“Anyone who wants quality”
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“Online buyers”
Good audience definition:
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One clear type of person
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With a clear problem
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In a clear situation
🔹 Target Audience (Group)
A category of people.
This is not enough.
Customer Persona (One Person)
A realistic imaginary person from that group.
Example:
Name: A Rahim
Age: 32
Job: Office executive
Pain: No time to research products
Fear: Wasting money online
Goal: Buy safe, fast, trusted
You don’t market to a group.
You market to A Rahim.
Good branding (for A Rahim)
“Trusted products delivered on time — no hassle”
Same product.
Different audience clarity.
🧠 Key Takeaway
Branding is a conversation with one person, repeated many times.
Big Truth
People don’t buy because they want something.
They buy because they want to stop feeling something.
Pain → Emotion → Action
Types of Pain Points
🔹 Functional Pain
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Too slow
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Too expensive
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Too complicated
🔹 Emotional Pain (Most Important)
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Fear of being cheated
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Anxiety about quality
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Frustration from bad past experience
🔹 Social Pain
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Fear of embarrassment
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Fear of looking cheap or wrong
Emotional Triggers (10 minutes)
These trigger buying decisions:
🔥 1. Safety
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“Trusted”
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“Verified seller”
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“Cash on Delivery”
🔥 2. Convenience
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“No hassle”
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“Quick delivery”
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“One-click order”
🔥 3. Belonging
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“Thousands trust us”
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“Customer favorite”
🔥 4. Scarcity
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“Limited stock”
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“Offer ends tonight”
🧠 Key Takeaway
Features explain.
Emotions convince.
1️⃣ Core Truth
Positioning = the place your brand owns in the customer’s mind
It’s not:
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Your slogan
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Your features
-
Your design
It’s the first thing people think of.
2️⃣ Simple Positioning Examples
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Volvo → Safety
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BMW → Driving pleasure
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Daraz → Online marketplace deals
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Pathao → Quick urban rides
Each owns one main idea.
3️⃣ Why Weak Brands Fail
They say:
-
“Best quality”
-
“Affordable price”
-
“Trusted service”
These mean nothing because everyone says them.
4️⃣ Case Study
☕ Starbucks
They don’t position as:
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Best coffee
-
Cheapest coffee
They position as:
“Third place” (not home, not office)
That’s why:
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Comfortable seating
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Music
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Pricing is high
Positioning controls experience + price.
Differentiation
1️⃣ Big Myth
“My product must be totally different”
❌ Wrong.
Differentiation is about perception, not invention.
You don’t need to be unique.
You need to be meaningfully different.
2️⃣ Types of Differentiation
🔹 1. Convenience
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Faster
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Easier
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Less steps
Example:
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Foodpanda → order in seconds
🔹 2. Trust
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Guarantees
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COD
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Clear policies
Example:
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Daraz Mall
🔹 3. Focus (Very Powerful)
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Serving one type of customer better
Example:
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Gym wear for women only
🔹 4. Emotion
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How the brand makes you feel
Example:
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Nike → motivation, confidence
3️⃣ What Is NOT Differentiation
❌ “High quality”
❌ “Best service”
❌ “Low price”
These are table stakes, not differentiators.
4️⃣ Case Study
🧼 Dollar Shave Club
Market:
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Gillette (big, expensive, corporate)
Differentiation:
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Funny tone
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Simple subscription
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“No nonsense” attitude
Same razor.
Different feeling.
Nice. Day 8 is pure clarity.
If you get this right, your marketing becomes 10× easier.
Value Proposition
(Why Should I Choose You?)
⏱️ Time: 30 minutes
🎯 Goal: Say your value in one clear sentence
1️⃣ Core Truth
Your value proposition answers one question:
“Why should I buy from you instead of others?”
If you can’t answer this clearly, the customer won’t think for you.
2️⃣ Simple Value Proposition Formula
Use this:
We help [TARGET CUSTOMER]
who struggle with [PROBLEM]
by providing [SOLUTION]
so they can [DESIRED OUTCOME].
Example (E-commerce)
We help busy online shoppers
who fear bad product quality
by offering verified products with COD
so they can shop confidently without risk.
That’s it.
No buzzwords.
3️⃣ Bad vs Good Value Proposition
❌ Bad
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Best quality products
-
Trusted seller
-
Affordable price
✅ Good
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Same-day delivery for Dhaka orders
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No-questions-asked returns
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Products tested before shipping
Specific = believable.
4️⃣ Case Study
🧳 Airbnb
Not:
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“Room booking website”
Value proposition:
“Belong anywhere”
They sell:
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Local experience
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Feeling at home
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Not hotels
That emotional clarity changed the industry.
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