SHANNON:While very few individuals will have gone through life without wondering what other people think of them, it is something that many businesses fail to consider, says Laura Maye, network manager at Design Shannon Skillnet.

In fact, according to Maye, a recent three-day seminar looking at the importance of brand development organised by Design Shannon, part of the national Skillnets body, was a real eye opener for many businesses in the west of Ireland, who up until that point thought a good brand was akin to having a recognisable logo.

"We touched a nerve with some companies who had no idea how important brand development can be," says Maye. "They thought it was simply about design, when in fact it is much more about the way other people see your business and the perception others have of you."

While it is impossible to put a financial value on having a good brand, Maye is in no doubt of the competitive advantage it can give a company.

"It's a way of differentiating yourself from your rivals," she says, adding that she has come across a company that attributes a 150 per cent increase in sales to successful brand development.

For more, check: www.designshannon.ie