Core Values
An enduring set of principles that defines the ethics of a company; part of a core ideology

Creative Brief
A document that sets parameters for a brand-building project, including context, goals, processes, budgetary constraints

Graphic Design
The process of visual communication that combines ideas, imagery and text to convey information to an audience to invoke an action.

Differentiation
The process of establishing a unique market position to increase profit margins and avoid commoditization; the result of positioning

Elevator Pitch
A one-sentence version of a brand's purpose or market position, short enough to convey during a brief elevator ride

Feature Creep
The addition of unnecessary elements to a product, service or experience; sometimes called featuritis

First Mover
A company or brand that leads a new category
iPod, Kleenex, Band-Aid, Dr. Pepper, Coke, Xerox, IBM, Reb Bull

Go-to-market
The plan or strategy used to roll-out a product, service or company to its intended audience

Icon
The visual symbol of a brand, usually based on a differentiated market position; a trademark

IMT
An Integrated Marketing Team, comprised of various specialist firms or individuals working in collaboration to build a brand; a metateam or virtual agency

Information Architect
A person who designs complex information systems to make them more navigable

Kit of Parts
A complete brand identity scheme, including name, trademark, typography, colors, shapes, sound signatures, taglines, and other expressions of the brand

Leveraging A Brand
Borrowing from the credibility of one brand to launch another brand, subbrand, or co-brand; brand extension

Line Extension
The addition of one or more subbrands to a master brand; the expansion of a brand family

Logo
An abbreviation of logotype, now applied broadly (if incorrectly) to all trademarks

Logotype
A distinctive typeface or lettering style used to represent a brand name; a wordmark

Look And Feel
The sensory experience of a product, environment, or communication

Marketing
The process of developing, promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service

Marketing Collateral
Any printed or visual piece of material used in marketing and sales

Metateam
A large team made up of smaller specialist teams, an IMT or virtual agency

Positioning
The process of differentiating a product, service, or company in a customer's mind to obtain a strategic competitive advantage; the first step in building a brand

Positioning Statement
A position is an exact, no-nonsense statement of how you are perceived in the minds of your prospects. A positioning statement by contrast, expresses how you wish to be perceived. It is the core message you want to deliver in every medium.

Promise
A stated or implied pledge that creates customer expectations and employee responsibilities, such as FedEx's on-time guarantee

Qualitative Research
Research designed to provide insight, such as one-on-one interviews and focus groups

Quantitative Research
Research designed to provide measurement, such as polling and large scale studies

ROI
Return On Investment, the money you profit back from an investment in design or branding

Sales Cycle
For buyers, the steps in making a purchase (often defined as awareness, consideration, decision, and use); for sellers the steps in making a sale (often defined as finding and qualifying customers, defining the products or services, and accepting and acknowledging the order

Search Engine Optimization
The process of increasing traffic volume to your website via "organic or algorithmic" search results for queried keywords

Shelf Impact
The ability of a product, package, or brand to stand out on a shelf by virtue of design

Segment
A group of people who are likely to respond to a given marketing effort in a similar way

Speech-Stream Visibility
The quality of a brand name that allows it to be recognized as a proper noun (as opposed to generic word) in conversation, such as Kodak, Smuckers or Google

Stakeholder
Any person or firm with a vested interest in a company or brand, including shareholders, employees, partners, suppliers, customers, and community members

Strategy
A plan that uses a set of tactics to achieve a business goal, often by out-maneuvering competitors

SWOT
A conceptual tool that analyzes Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats

Symbol
A sign or trademark to represent a brand

Tactic
An expedient maneuver used in support of a strategy

Tagline
A sentence, phrase or word used to summarize a market position, such as Mini's "Lets Motor" and Taco Bell's "Think outside the bun"

Target Market
The group of customers a company has decided to serve

Touchpoint
Any place where people come in contact with a brand, including product use, packaging, advertising, editorial, movies, store environments, company employees, and casual conversation

Trade Dress
The colors, shapes, typefaces, page treatments, and other visual properties that create a recognizable " face" for a brand

Trademark
A name and/or symbol that indicates a source of goods or services and prevents confusion in the marketplace; a legally protectable form of intellectual property

Tribal Brand
A brand with a cult-like following, such as Harley-Davidson, eBay, or American Idol or even The Oakland Raiders

USP
The Unique Selling Proposition of a product or service, as championed by advertising executive Rosser Reeves in the 1950s; a type of differentiation

Value Proposition
A set of benefits, including functional, emotional, and self-expressive benefits

Viral Marketing
A technique by which social networks are used to spread ideas or messages, through the use of affiliate programs, co-branding, e-mails, and link exchanges on-line, or off-line, through use of word-of-mouth advertising and memes

Vision
The story a leader tells about where the organization is going, the aspirations of a company that drive future growth

Vertical Market
Any segment of a brands target market that can also be sold to

Wordmark
The brand as represented by a distinctive typeface or lettering style; a logotype

Why-To-Buy Message
The most compelling reason to buy a product, often stated as a tagline

Zag
A disruptive innovation that yields a competitive advantage; the differentiating idea that drives a charismatic brand.


Credits: Used with permission: The Dictionary of Brand, edited by
Marty Neumeier of Neutron, LLC, published by AIGA, www.aiga.com