Do You Know Why Brands Are Called Brands?

I had never really thought about the word, "brand". Yes, I have studied it, discussed it a gazillion times and thought of it in terms of the importance of "branding" and so on. But I never really thought about why it is called "brand". So today seemed like a good day to see what it's all about.

What do you think of when you hear the word, "brand"? I bet you think of things like...

Right? Like most of us. But do you know why brands are called "brands"? The word "brand" is derived from the Old Norse term "brandr" which means "to burn". Makes sense right? The earliest forms of branding probably came from ranchers branding their cattle so they would know what cow belonged to who and to prevent cattle stealing. And just like that, brands are "burned" into our minds. And the really great ones, they can be identified just by their logo. That one image is burned together with the brand name and burned into our mind. "Brand" really means "to burn".

So remember, every time you see a brand, you are being mentally burned. And if you create a brand, make sure it's hot enough to burn into people's minds!