IN A digital industry constantly looking to outdo each other with gadgetry and specifications, computer giant Hewlett-Packard (HP) takes the marketing ball game to another level - by making a link with the hearts of consumers.

'The connect that we wanted to make was not based on benefits, but an emotional connect,' said Mr Ajay Mohan, vice president of marketing and small and medium-sized businesses for HP in Asia Pacific and Japan on Tuesday.

'And the emotional connect that we wanted to establish was that the computer is an extension of yourself. It is something which you work with on a daily basis, this is where you put your ideas, this is how you operate.'

'This is a very personal thing, and you do not look at it as an impersonal object. And that was the emotional connect that we tried to establish. We were trying to say; this is what makes it personal.'

He was speaking at the Brand Couture Congress, and shared the story of HP's successful branding strategy.

'Our firm belief is that a brand is bigger than a product. What we buy is first into the brand then into the product per se. You want people to associate at an emotive level with your brand,' he said.

Other speakers at the congress shared similar stories.

Mr Jim Warner, managing director of industrial design for global brand strategy and design firm Brand Image, said that branding is defined by how a product makes a person feel and think about it.

One of the ways to successful branding is building a relationship between the brand and the heart.

'It's about love for the brand. Everybody in here has brands they love. That's an emotional connection at the highest level; in creating a relationship with that brand, which creates loyalty, which translates into big dollars and big increase in market share,' he explained.

Besides the emotional component between the brand and the consumer, another point brought up during the congress was the one between the brand and the employee; termed internal branding.

'Internal branding is a gap in the marketing arena today. We don't focus on that, instead, we focus more on the consumer side. But what is going on inside a company is very important,' said Ms Charmaine Cruz, chief executive of Philippine-based branding agency Provocateur.

'Employees need to have a clear idea of what the branding stands for. You have to make them appreciate the brand that they have.

'Internal branding leads to greater brand loyalty, organisation commitment and even increase in sales,' she said.

The Brand Couture Congress, being held at Suntec Singapore, ends on Wednesday.