Farmers have normally sold their products as commodities.  This means there is no appreciable difference between the corn raised by Farmer Jones and the corn raised by Farmer Smith.  One bushel of corn will directly substitute for any other bushel of corn.

However, value-added agriculture allows farmers to differential their products from the products of others.  Product differentiation means that your product is somehow different or better than the neighbors.  The way to bring this difference to the attention of your customer is by branding your product.  Branding allows you to clearly identify and personalize the superior nature of your product relative to those of your competitors.  If your brand succeeds in convincing your customer that you have a superior product, it follows that the customer will be willing to pay more for your product relative to the products of your competitors.

Building your Brand will help you understand what branding is, why it is important, and the necessary steps to brand your product.  Flanker Brands, Brand Line Extensions and Brand Leveraging are three ways of using your current branded product to move another branded product into the marketplace.  Brand Loyalty focuses on why it is importance to your company and outlines the steps necessary to convert to and maintain brand loyalty.

More information on branded products is provided in the box at the right.