Sales ---> Marketing ---> Branding

Most of the business started off with the focus of Sales.
That is where we gather "bullets" to support in the long run. The basic resources to sustain a long term business are Cashflows & Profits.

Most of the time, Sales & Marketing goes hand-in-hand. Of course Marketing involves Product, Promotion, Place (the right location), & Price structure. But I think another 2 more P's are more important.....PEOPLE & PASSION!

From Marketing, it moves to Branding where it involves Promises, Meanings, Commitments & Emotional Attachments.

Well, I can see some businesses making a transition from Product Differentiation to Emotional Association. I guess both are as important.

But sometimes I like product differentiation and got confused on emotional association, trying to figure out what kinds of emotion that an ad trying to portray.
Example:

• Nissan's tagline of SHIFT.....hmm.....Shift on what? Thinking? Trend? Technology?...etc
• Seiko: EXTEND OUR LIMITS....hmm...Putting Daniel Wu doesn't really portray that...
• McD: I'M LOVIN IT.....after their concept change on the exterior....I've got it!
• Milo: From MINUM MILO ANDA JADI SIHAT & KUAT....to PLAY HARD, LEARN HARD.....telling us to enjoy life to the max?
• Nike: JUST DO IT.....of course the Swoosh does make us feel confident & instill sort of a sportmanship spirit into us! But I guess the most important factor for Nike is most of the well-known sport players wear it! That is a great exposure...
• Nokia: CONNECTING PEOPLE.....hmmm...of course that's the purpose of a handphone.....perhaps CREATING COMMUNITIES instead? But I think iPhone already successfully doing it!

Of course there are some who have personally branded themselves: Lillian Too, Joey Yap, Donald Trump, AirAsia --> Tony Fernandes, Virgin --> Richard Branson, Apple --> Steve Jobs ....etc.
But I got a little confused when I see the same brand ambassador carrying multiple brands such as Amber Chia or Eric Leong. I do respect their entrepreneurship & passion in helping certain brands to be more outstanding but eventually I'm a confused-kid looking at those ads!

Anyway, consumer's purchase is always boiling down into a simple formula of:
Emotion + Reason = Purchase!

Most of the time, we buy things EMOTIONALLY & then justified it LOGICALLY!!

I've had ex-colleagues who bought a LV bag, working as an executive in a company.....so, tell me bout it!! Don't tell me they need a new handbag because the old one has broken & accidentally bought a LV!

Well, branding is a very interesting field afterall. It enlivens a name created from nothing to something.
I have to admit that I do love certain brands......
As the saying goes....

Factories manufacture PRODUCTS, Consumers buy BRANDS.