Branding is a complicated art form with a lot of misconceptions that have been created by an overall lack of understanding from most people. The confusion is understandable because modern branding has developed into a very broad and subjective concept; and yet, throughout history it has become one of the most important and prevalent aspects of our global society. The definition of branding according to A businessdictionary.com is: “the process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product in the consumers ' mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme” (4). Branding has been around since the first civilizations all the way up to present day; all the while, the factors that are needed to make a brand successful adapting in concurrence with changes in societal trends. Branding is an adaptable art form that has been a requisite component of society since the the origins of civilization in which businesses strategically shape the perception consumers have of their integrity, products and services.
The art of branding has continuously evolved throughout history. The foremost practices of branding are dated back to the earliest known civilizations, as evidenced by the oldest example of branding discovered: a personalised stone seal found in Mesopotamia dated at approximately 8,000 years old (8). In addition to Mesopotamian ancient branding: Babylonian barkers gave sales pitches to prospective customers as goods arrived on ships, written advertisements on walls in Pompeii survived the fire that destroyed the city, and merchants from multiple civilizations used pictorial signs that informed about a merchant’s products as Mesopotamian Carved Stone Stopper (8) a way to advertise to illiterate customers (9). With the dissolution of the Ancient Roman Empire brought the end to the ancient time period and the start of the Medieval Ages. In the preliminary
Cited: 1. "Advertising in the 1920s." EyeWitness to History. Ibis Communications, Inc., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. . 2. Airey, David. "Top Aspects of Successful Branding." David Airey. ICDSoft, 20 Feb. 2007. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. . 3. "Brand Consistency." Web log post. ZUZA Marketing Asset Management. N.p., 1 Mar. 2012. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. . 4. "Branding." BusinessDictionary. WebFinance, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. . 5. "Focusing On Your Target Audience." Web log post. Brand Marketing Insights. WordPress, n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. . 6. Frey, Staeven. "Brand Messaging 101: How Do I Do That?" Web log post. QuantumCMG. QCMG, 15 Mar. 2012. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. . 7. "History of Branding." Drypen. N.p., 31 May 2008. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. . 8. Jennings, Kadira. "Just How Did Branding Begin?" Web log post. InnerPrints ' Blog. WordPress, 04 Sept. 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. . 9. Lander, Robin. "A Brief Overview of the History of Branding." Designing Brand Experiences. N.p.: Thomas Delmar Learning, n.d. N. pag. Advertising Education Foundation. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. . 10. Mordaunt, Cam. "Why Brand Differentiation Is So Important." Web log post. BTZ Brand-Brand Speak. BTZ Brand, 17 Dec. 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. . 11. Ott, Adrian. "Stop Wasting Money on Brand Preference. Think Brand Relevance." Fast Company. Mansueto Ventures LLC, 19 Jan. 2011. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. .