Brand identity is the way a brand presents itself in advertising, behaviour and symbolism. Brand image is a shared, subjective image a group of consumers have of a brand. The concept identity therefore revolves around the sender, while image revolves around the receiver. A brand manager should not solely charge the brand on the basis of what consumers say (image), a brand manager should also be able to identify for himself on what basis the brand stands out in the market (i.e. identity).

The Brand Assets Concept model can be used to assess whether brand associations are relevant to consumers. Brand associations can be considered relevant when they lead to people rating a brand more highly and/or get consumers to purchase products by that brand. This model discerns three layers (circles): 'brand associations', 'core concept' and 'mental assets'.

Branding is an activity that not only requires a lot of effort, but also great understanding. Understanding of how you can make a brand meaningful and relevant for the target group. Mark Batey published ‘Brand Meaning’ in 2008. This book revolves around the question how you can give a brand meaning, and make it a potential iconic brand.

Kapferer’s Brand Identity Prism model discerns six facets of brand identity: physique, personality, culture, relationship, reflection and self-image By populating this model for a specific brand, a brand manager will learn to view his brand from different angles. This can, for example, make it clear why – and where – the organisation’s idea of the brand image differs from the image consumers have, and where the brand’s behavioural inconsistencies lie. This model is probably one of the most widely used models to ascertain the identity of a brand.

Means-end analysis provides a way of defining how (1) concrete features (attributes) of a product or service can be abstracted into brand values, and (2) how brand values can, in turn, be converted into concrete customer contacts. The main advantage offered by this method is that it not only serves to define a brand’s identity (in terms of brand values), but simultaneously also checks the relevance of values to consumers, and finds out which aspects of the identity are unique when compared to the competition.

In their corporate identity / corporate image model, Birkigt and Stadler identify four dimensions of corporate identity. Three ‘instruments’ (in the outer circle) form the concrete manifestations of the underlying ‘personality’ of the organisation (core of the circle). Corporate identity relates to the total scope of manifestations (symbolism, advertising and behaviour) an organisation uses to propagate its personality.

In 1997, Jennifer Aaker published the article 'Dimensions of Brand Personality' in the Journal of Marketing Research. The article presents her research into the dimensions of brand personality. Based on a study of 37 American brands, she concludes that they are five brand personality dimensions: (1) sincerity, (2) excitement, (3) competence, (4) sophistication and (5) ruggedness.

Timmerman set up his so-called ‘IBRA classification’ on the basis of various brand association lists. IBRA stands for Inventory of Brand Representation Attributes. All possible brand associations can, according to this model, be classified into three different dimensions (product-related, brand-related or consumer-related), ten main categories and 57 sub-categories. This model is particularly useful when selecting possibly relevant associations for a brand.

Hofstede has developed a model of five cultural dimensions: low vs. high power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, masculinity vs. femininity, low uncertainty avoidance vs. high uncertainty avoidance and long vs. short term orientation.