Branding is one good differentiator to move away from the commodity image. In fact, many products/services start as commodities before becoming brands. Any brand stands for certain values. It is not adequate if the values that a brand stands for are only conveyed through marketing communications such as advertisements. It is equally important that the brand's values are well-understood by the company's employees so that they are engaged at all stages of value creation and thus help in making the brand sustainable over a long time.

Any claim that branding is for external communication perhaps may not create an interest for a reader, whereas the claim that branding is predominantly for internal communication would definitely jolt a reader into wondering how this could be so. It is on this premise that this article, with a focus on business marketing and internal branding, is presented here. Attention is drawn to these two perspectives, so as to demonstrate the impact and the applicability of these ideas in the industry.

Commodities are products or services that a customer would tend to perceive as being exactly the same, regardless of the source of supply. When the service providers or suppliers of a product do not differentiate their offerings from each other, such a product/service is said to be in a commodity market. Firms that sell sand, cement, steel, crude oil, etc., generally used to fall into this category. Today, cement, steel, water, crude and its derivatives are all branded.

`Differentiate or Die' has been the mantra for success these days, practically for all products and services. Intense competition, wafer-thin profit margins and customers looking for value, have forced firms to consider every possible opportunity to differentiate their offerings.

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