At a recent seminar on corporate branding, SMU Assistant Professor of Marketing Peter De Maeyer said that branding is not just a trademark or slogan. It is a versatile concept and provides a sense of how customers perceive a company’s image and respond to its products and services. He added that the customers would only make a purchase decision after gaining a thorough understanding of what the company’s brand represents, and how its products fit his lifestyle needs. The article noted that in facing global competition, SMEs have been able to maintain their competitive advantage due to successful branding. Assistant Professor De Maeyer added that the returns to a successful rebranding campaign can be very positive as this can raise the brand value to further drive the company’s sales and profits. He also expressed his hopes that the SMEs would view branding as an investment rather than overhead, so as to reap the many benefits that come with branding.