Question

what else does a strong "brand" accomplish for your product/company? Do you think more buzz is created, for example, by Facebook users or by a company's advertising?

Answer 1

A strong brand attracts customers to the company and allows the company to stand out and have superior pricing power in the market. Moreover a brand is also a source of competitive advantage for a firm. For example, the brand Coca Cola is so strong that it would be almost impossible for a new entrant in the cola market to compete with Coca Cola and win over customers as customers are loyal to Coca Cola brand and they feel that product assurance is guaranteed. So a strong brand ensures customer loyalty as well.

A company advertising creates the largest buzz as it attracts eyeballs and then a certain section of these eyeballs or viewers are converted to customers. If the advertising is endorsed by the facebook users or followers, then the impact of the advertising is definitely more. But in isolation facebook users can only create so much buzz for a brand but coupled with an advertisement and its endorsement, the brand can create a lot more visibility in the market.