Slapping a logo on a product isn’t the same as branding. This is one of the first lessons I teach my marketing students.

A logo or label identifies a product and distinguishes it from others. But while it helps differentiate one product from another, it doesn’t necessarily give customers a reason to choose it.

A brand is more than an identifier. It has an identity.

And that identity isn’t formed by what a company tells people about its brand. It’s formed by what people tell other people about it.

That comes from their actual experiences with the product or service, the feelings it evokes, and the expectations it meets—or fails to meet.

Companies can spend millions on advertising, pushing their products on television and online to convince people to give them a try. Advertising may get customers through the door, but it takes more than advertising to keep them coming back.

Ultimately, a brand earns loyalty when the actual experience lives up to the promise.

Because you can tell people what your brand stands for, but it’s their experience that tells them what your brand truly is.