not every product is a brand. and that’s ok.
some are commodities. and that’s ok too.

brands compete on intangible attributes.
commodities compete on price or convenience.

a Coke could just be yet another bottled drink. or it can become an indispensable element of those times when friends come together, and share those so precious and unforgettable moments.

what makes more sense for your product? what makes more sense for your audience? what sort of relationship do you want to establish with people? what are the resources you have and how can they be best invested? what is your business objective? and what is the strategy that makes most sense accordingly?

for sure, one requires more effort and planning than the other. one requires to think through more carefully every decision. meaning that one is way more complicated to pull off. but that same one also creates a much deeper and more meaningful relationship with people – which is not always necessary to sell, by the way. and if you do care about that: it can very much be worth it.