Dietary restrictions aside, are you one of those who views branding as fluffy, cream-filled jargon? Something that’s nice but rather non-essential? (Like the bowl of double chocolate ice-cream I unabashedly devoured late last night.)

Well, you may want to change your perception of what’s healthy. It’s fast becoming a world of brand better or bust.

With the Internet now juggernaut of commercialism and epicenter of our economic universe, products are increasingly “bought” not sold. This means that customers are actively searching through a sea of options for what they want more so than ever before. According to Philip Kotler, in B2B Brand Management, “The Internet brings the full array of choices to every purchaser or decision maker anywhere with just one mouse click. Without trusted brands as touchstones, buyers would be overwhelmed by an overload of information no matter what they were looking for.” There’s not a charismatic sales force in the world that can compete with the strength of a plugged-in, savvy consumer.

The only way to measurably succeed in this environment is to bring your brand to the forefront of your customer’s consciousness. It makes sense if you think about it. When shopping for a car, do you Google “automobile” or “Toyota?” When looking for a do-it-all communication device, do you think PDA or Blackberry?

So next time, when ordering from the marketing menu… be open-minded. Branding may fatten up your bottom-line.