Brand strategist, copywriter and company naming nut Scott Silverman helps you turn it up to Eleven.

A brand marketing consultant works to ensure the company is carving out the right perceptions to influence Sales: those that align with target needs and wants, capitalize on marketplace opportunities and widen the competitive moat.

The importance of being a well-articulated brand has long been taught in business schools and marketing textbooks. The fundamental importance has less to do with eloquence or vibrancy of voice, though these are brand-building tools, as well. The real importance has more to do with ensuring the company is carving out a distinct identity in the marketplace. Knowing who the business is for, what it is and what it is not put a finer point on company marketing and business development activities. When something is articulated, it has defined connecting points. When these connecting points are precise and aligned with the opportunity, the brand can operate and express itself with greater clarity and focus.

Branding is defined and practiced in many different ways, but the simplest definition is this: branding is the business equivalent of an individual’s reputation. The sum total of things a company does to enhance how it is perceived and the value of those perceptions constitute its branding efforts. Branding efforts work to unify and support all other business functions, giving them a distinctive “home” in the hearts and minds of targets, employees, the greater public, etc.

Differentiation is how companies set themselves apart in the marketplace. 7-Up® differentiated itself simply by not being a cola drink. Coke® and Pepsi®, less fundamentally different, seek to differentiate themselves through brand image and advertising.

Positioning is how a company sets the stage for sales. Are you the biggest? The best? The low-cost leader? The one with the most reliable products? The one who stays open later? Hertz® was the category leader, which translated into trust and availability. Avis® embraced their second-fiddle status with a promise of “We try harder,” essentially a service claim. That’s an example of smart positioning.

A Unique Value Proposition (UVP) clarifies a company’s position by spelling out the uniqueness of the targets it exists for, including their unique needs and wants, and how the company’s demonstrated uniqueness renders them the one, best choice. Often, an exercise such as SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) will help inform the development of a strong UVP. A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) serves the same objectives and functions at the products and services level.

Los Angeles branding agency Articulated Brands is one such company that specializes in the strategic marketing and creative services needs of small businesses.