15 Elements of a Successful Brand

15. Consistency in tactics: Using the right tactics over and over can help align a brand's users in a way that is memorable and makes a personal connection. Chick-fil-A is one of the most successful fast food chicken restaurant chains in the U.S. They have staked out a market position as one of the healthiest fast food choices. A major part of the company's marketing is providing children with educational paperback books with the purchase of a kid's meal. The books make a statement about the quality of Chick-fil-A's product and encourages parents who are concerned about health and education to choose Chick-fil-A over McDonald's(MCD Quote), Burger King (BKC Quote) and other fast food choices.

To be a good marketer you have to study successful brands and make notes about how they deliver their message and what makes them successful. It's also important to look at failing brands and understand where they fall short. In my opinion, branding starts with the quality of the product and service. Then people mention their experience to others, and the company's product and service becomes synonymous with something. Examples of this are Google (GOOG Quote) with Internet searches and Xerox (XRX Quote) with printing.

Don't lock yourself in your office -- attend conferences like Wharton's and leverage the experience of others to improve your own company's marketing success.