Branding

"Microbranding is a small, tiny brand, that "sells" all over the world." (Gross) A brand is different from a logo which is the visual symbol adorning a product. A brand is what you think of when you see the product. Gross' examples of the concept states, "When you see the Nike swoosh (the logo) you think "sports for the masses" (the brand). When you see a Jaguar hood ornament (the logo) you think "luxury cars for the lucky few" (the brand). When you see red and white on a soup can (the logo), you think "soup is good food" (the brand)." (Gross) Virtually anything, from a person to a lifestyle, can be branded. The types of brands are personal, professional, and market brands. It is also possible for one aspect to have many brands.

I derived from my readings that initially, microbranding is not usually sought after. Obtaining global popularity is usually achieved through recognition. Gross writes, "If they are at all aware of you, you already have a brand." (Gross) Becoming well-known often involves developing a unique product or service. It is easier to achieve global microbranding when you are the first and leading brand in a category.

Those who are successful at microbranding often outsource functions that aren't vital to developing the brand, this saves them time and money. For example, "ID Software Inc., the 17-person creator of the computer games Doom and Quake, outsources everything but game development."(Neuborne) Other successful companies outsource everything but marketing and advertising.

The Mozilla Organization is an example of a company that outsourced it's advertising and marketing, without having to pay for it. Their success began with the support of others and they became known for their unusual methods of advertisement. "In two days they contacted almost 100 sites, asking if owners would put a "Download Firefox"