YEREVAN.- “Brands and Business” International Conference was held in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, on Saturday. The Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter interviewed one of the participants, founder of Mindscapes training agency Yonathan Dominitz.

What is branding in general?

Branding is defining the purpose and the vision of the brand in which one tries to create a meaningful identity for the brand. Therefore, once you have created this vision you try to use all the means you have- graphical images, language, people, media in order to express this meaning so that it will be the identity that you have initially in your mind and which will be shared by people.

Is brand the thing that must provide maximum trust towards the company?

Yes, I believe that a good branding should include and have meaningful trust. I agree that trust is one of the key words that brand should strive to have. Without trust you cannot go any far in personal relations and relations with an entity.

What is your vision of brand? Is it an image, a book, an object?

Brand is a perceived identity. An identity that people perceive and project on something, therefore it is a mental creation. We create it, we deliver it, people get whatever they get and then reflect it back to us, and then we believe we have something together which we call a brand. 

Can a businessman create a brand and then start promoting it? Should business idea be the first and branding the second?

It can go either way. One can start a business without even knowing what the brand is and because one is doing very skillful business and created a reliable image for his own business it can become a strong brand later on.  Or vice versa, you can start by building a brand. Once you have the vision you put it into practice and create a business which expresses this brand image.

Should each company be interested in brand and creating brand just as you are presenting?

It is an option. We reflect images. I know nothing about you, but hear how you speak, how you are dressed and I create an idea what is behind that. In a certain way, it is a brand that I create of you. The question is how we can do it in a skillful way.

When Armenian businessman starts business he often does not think thoroughly about the brand. What will you suggest the local businessmen to do?

I believe the question refers to difference between product and brand. Product is ingredients, quality, material but not more. When you create a brand it is a certain image which goes beyond the product, includes producer, environment, the values associated or could be associated while thinking about the company or the product itself. Brand is stronger than the product itself.

When they buy a company they buy not production capacity but the image, brand, for instance Coca-Cola.

If a businessman does not think about branding then he is doomed to competing on the level of product which is rather difficult. It is hard to create competitive advantage because technology is available for everyone. You must be creative and think of what kind of values you want to associate with a certain product and how you can make sure that those values are relevant and meaningful for people, not only yourself.

What expectations do you have visiting a certain country?

I expect to learn. I like to communicate with people, to see the differences to know that beyond these differences we share much in common.

The conference was organized by Maeutica branding agency.