Branded goods are relative newcomers to the world of commerce. Packaged brands as we recognize them today only emerged out of industrial mass production. In the short time since then brands have become among the most valuable of assets.

However, if you look at them in terms of what they could have achieved, they have fallen short. Brands exist at an early stage of their evolution, developing only a small proportion of their potential. Consider the high mortality rate. Many brands die young.

Yet some brands live far longer. Just as significantly, they show no signs of loosing their vitality.

Take Coca Cola. First introduced in 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia yet the strength and potential of the brand is as great as it has ever been.

And brands can outlive the companies that gave birth to them. Take Jaguar. The Jaguar brand name was first introduced in 1935, by a company called the Lyon's Swallow Sidecar Company, based in Blackpool, England. In 1966 Jaguar cars merged with the British Motor Corporation, to form British Leyland Motors. In 1984 the company was once again independent, only to be purchased by Ford Motor Company in 1989. Whatever happens to the corporate ownership, the Jaguar brand lives on: continuing to evoke images of feline grace, elegance and power.

Another example: the history of Heineken began in December 1863 when Gerard Adriaan Heineken bought the largest brewery in Amsterdam, Holland. It is still a family business, and still pursuing a commitment to brew the very best beer possible.

What is the secret of these seemingly eternal brands? Consider four key characteristics:

Great product quality

This is a necessary but not sufficient characteristic. A brand will not survive unless it is rooted in a great product. Whether it is the relentless pursuit of the perfect beer by Heineken, the engineering miracles of Jaguar, the constant innovation of Kodak or simply the purity of Dove, the product has to deliver quality.

Get there first

Quality by itself is not enough. Often great brands own the central benefit of the category. For example: Marlboro = masculinity & freedom, Nike = the challenge of sports (captured in the line `Just do it'), Levi's = rebellious and sexy (the very essence of jeans and of 50's & 60's youth culture). All of these are examples of brands that sit close the category benefit and have successfully defended their market share as a result.

Exploit brand strengths

Big enduring brands make the most of their strength in the market. From a branding perspective this means reminding consumers of their strength. Whether this is Coke reminding consumers that it is `the real thing' or Heineken communicating that it is the `number one imported beer' or BA claiming to be `the world's favourite airline' - it all comes down to success breeding success.

And finally ... the brand above all else

Any company that owns truly great brands has only achieved this because they live to serve the brand. This may sound extreme, but consider the first few lines of Coca Cola's Mission Statement: `we exist to create value for our share owners on a long-term basis by building a business that enhances The Coca-Cola Company's trademarks. This also is our ultimate commitment.'

Colin Bates has been working in marketing training and development for the past 15 years. He develops training for a wide range of multinational clients, including Procter & Gamble, SmithKline Beecham, British Telecom and Dannon, as well as many national and local companies. Colin's website is BuildingBrands.com.

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