Your brand is the expectation of what your customers and prospects believe their experience will be like doing business with you.

I think Seth Godin said it best: A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another. If the consumer (whether it's a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn't pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer.