The American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC) and the American Marketing Association (AMA) have joined forces to conduct a study of best practices in branding. They went out looking for the key things you can do to build your company or product brand. 
What is "Branding," Anyway?
APQC and the AMA define the primary purpose of branding as to "establish a meaningful, differentiated presence that will increase the ability to attract and retain loyal customers and improve marketplace ability.%
I see that as increasing name recognition and awareness in your target market so that it's easier to sell what you have to sell. When it's done right, branding builds on the natural way that human beings make buying decisions.
Years ago there was a great trade magazine ad. It showed an obviously unfriendly purchasing agent staring out of the page at you. The caption went something like this. "I don't know you. I never heard of your company. Now, what was it you wanted to sell me?"
Branding is about building positive awareness and recognition. No matter what business you're in, whether it's a one-person service business working out of a desk in your bedroom or a multinational selling manufactured goods in hundreds of countries, people have to be aware of who you are so that the little recognition bell goes off in their heads when they hear your name or see your logo. "Ding!!
Mostly you gain that recognition by having them see your message a number of times. How often? For most products and services four to six times within a six month period is good. That's where continuous advertising and publicity work for you.
As folks keep hearing or seeing your message, they learn a bit about what you do. Now, when the bell goes off they say, "Oh yeah, they make ·"
Branding begins by building recognition and awareness, but it doesn't stop there.