Expanding your brand deals with creating a new type of product different from what you've already been doing. The Ipod is a great example of Apple computers expanding their brand into new territory. This is also a great example of a successful brand expansion for a variety of reasons, but I'll get back to that later.

The benefits of a brand expansion come from the fact that you're able to benefit from your existing brand name. After all, one of the hardest parts about releasing a new product or company is establishing who you are so people will trust you with their business.

You can also save on costs when it comes to things like commercial printing and other advertising endeavors because you're covering two different types of products at the same time, thus getting twice as much for your money. Essentially, you already have everything set up for your company so adding another line of products or division to it requires a lot less effort.

But there are problems that can crop up if you aren't careful. The new brand needs to be just as strong as the old one was. If you release a new brand that doesn't live up to expectations you can end up hurting your old brand name with your new one.

You also want to have a certain amount of consistency in the look at feel of your advertising. If you print up a batch of brochures or flyers with a strikingly different look than what people are used to you risk stretching your brand name too thin. People have to feel they can trust you as an expert in whatever field you're in. The further you stretch yourself the more difficult it becomes to keep your brand name strong.

Going back to the example of the Ipod, this is such a perfect example of brand expansion for a number of reasons. First, the general industry Apple branched out into was still very similar to what they had already been doing. It was still the tech industry. Secondly, the advertising and look of their marketing remained very similar for both their computers and the Ipod. They didn't have any huge shift in their commercial printing.

They properly built upon their previous successes to get people interested and to trust them with a new product. That is exactly what you need to do with your company if you intend to expand your brand name. It can be a delicate process, but the benefits are great if you can really establish yourself in a new area.