[Page 65]The field of brand studies suffers from relative conceptual fuzziness. There is no consensus on a definition of brand and several related terms, which are often used interchangeably. A brand can be defined as the ensemble of visual elements, histories, expectations, experiences, and practices that are associated with a given organization and differentiate it from competitors. It is an intangible asset of the organization that can have a major effect in activating a target audience. Therefore, organizations often invest heavily to build their brand identity.

Brand identity refers to the way in which an organization wants a given target audience to perceive its brand, as the fundamental attributes of the organization. Therefore, brand identity refers specifically to an analysis internal to the organization. Sometimes brand ...