International Webinar 2023 - The Role of Digital Based Innovative to Improve Competitiveness – Part 16

Brand and Product are two different terms, which are commonly encountered in marketing. Both differ in the sense that products are made by companies while brands are built by the people who use them i.e. customers. Moreover, the former can be easily duplicated, while the latter is unique, and cannot be copied. A product goes through life cycles, but a brand is timeless.


Because of the rapid modernization of society, now everyone is concerned. How do they look? What do they wear? What do they bring? What do they eat? etc. This modernization makes them brand sensitive. Have you ever wondered what a brand is? And How can you differentiate a regular product from a branded one? So, here in this article, we have compiled the most important differences between brand and product, which will help you understand the terms better.


Products are goods or services or a combination of both provided by a company in the market for sale to final consumers. It can be in physical or non-physical form. Manufacturers make products. Raw materials procured from manufacturers, are then converted into finished goods, which are offered by them for sales purposes. Production costs are the investment made by the company in producing a product, and it is sold at a price known as the selling price.


Products have their own years of life. After the expiration of the period, the product becomes obsolete. In such cases, every product needs to be reinvented or remade, to appeal to the target audience. Sometimes, a product is relaunched by a company with some new or interesting features that can attract the attention of more customers.


Every product is different in terms of size, color, brand name, shape, packaging, features, after-sales service and more. However, those product differences are psychological, not physical. These factors are more or less used by companies to persuade customers to buy their products. For example. Handbags, sunglasses, jeans, shoes, belts, etc.


The market is flooded with millions of products, names, symbols, signs, products, services, logos, people or any other entity that makes you distinguish a product from the clutter of products, is a Brand. It is something; which helps customers to identify the product as well as the company behind it. Look at it another way, a product that has a name, that we can remember and relate to, is a brand. A Mark cannot be seen or touched; it can only be felt. Brands are not built in a day; it took years to earn the trust of customers.


Brand is a combination of three things, namely promises, desires, and emotions. This is the promise made by the company to its customers that what do they get after they buy the company's product? It fulfills all the wishes of the customer. It is an emotion that is attached to the customer. Brands create expectations in customers that the promises made by companies under the brand umbrella will be fulfilled by the products they use.


Brand is not just a name but an image in the minds of customers. Image is associated with reliability, credibility, and quality that gives customers a sense of satisfaction. The legal identity of a brand is known as a trademark.


In the first example, the two seem the same, but if you start looking for the differences, then you will know what they really mean. A significant difference between product and brand is that a product is a single entity, but there may be millions of products under a single brand. So, brand is a broader term than product. Product name among people only because of the brand.


The material above was presented by a presenter from Pakistan in an international webinar held by STEKOM University in collaboration with Universities from Pakistan, Malaysia, and various other parties. The name of the presenter is Dr. Amena Sibghatullah who is an assistant professor and head of marketing college of management science, KIET University, Pakistan.


This international webinar activity is part of the implementation of STEKOM University's commitment to increase various international activities. This was done in order to realize the vision to become an international-class university. Various international activities carried out by STEKOM University continue from year to year. There are international activities that are sustainable and there are also some international activities that are not sustainable. All types of international activities are accommodated and regulated by the International department of STEKOM University.