Brand asset design is the business process of planning, designing, producing and delivering brand assets. Brand assets are tangible and intangible things that contribute to the brand image. Design is often used in this context as a catch-all expression for artistic expression, product design, industrial design and fashion design. Product design contributes to brand asset design by conceptualising, testing and manufacturing products that become part of the company’s brand identity.

A company or product’s brand asset includes the physical representation of the organisation’s name. For example, Spar stores use their distinctive tree logo to visually identify their brand image. The phrase “Spar” is the company’s name, but without the logo (and other branding) Spar would be indistinguishable from other supermarket chains.

Customers are more likely to shop at Targets because of its unique branding that stands out among other big-box department stores. Another example of a brand asset that contributes to the brand image is the Starbucks logo, whose mermaid has become synonymous with Starbucks itself.

A company’s objects and materials contribute to its brand image by promoting a certain quality or standard of performance. In the late 1700s, coffee merchants in Europe began marking sacks of coffee with their initials or name. These sacks of coffee, known as the merchant’s “merchantable,” were used to distinguish between different roasters and make it easier for customers to choose their preferred roaster.

Brands and their assets are difficult for competitors to copy successfully because they are established through years of investment by an organisation and often trademarked for protection. For example, Tiffany & Co is known for its Tiffany Blue Box®, which it has used on every product box since 1845. This distinctive use of colour helps the company stand out in a crowded marketplace, where shoppers are often overwhelmed by visual branding.

An organisation’s culture is also part of its brand asset design because it helps the company form its mission to create value for customers. For example, Zappos is an online store that strives to deliver superior customer service by having employees make calls to customers about their purchases. This commitment to customer service is part of the company’s mission to deliver happiness, which has become a brand asset for Zappos.

Different departments within an organisation contribute to its brand image through their use of certain colours or logos. For example, IBM uses different colour schemes in its marketing and internal branding because each colour is associated with a different set of values and goals.