Just as your personal checkbook has credits and debits, a brand checkbook has credits and debits in the form of brand credits and brand debits. Brand credits are business activities that enhance the reputation and perception people have of a brand, and brand debits are those that detract from the reputation and perception of the brand.

It’s unrealistic to expect a business will participate only in brand credit marketing activities. But it is vitally important for a healthy, growing business to have more brand credits than brand debits. Otherwise, your brand checkbook will be in a constant state of brand debt.