The competition in brand market does not stop increasing. However it becomes difficult for the brands managers to differ only on the basis of the functional attributes. Consequently the symbolic sense of the brand becomes a criterion of differentiation of brands.

The brand is a founder of sense, it allows to install products and services in a sign and sense universe which distinguishes them from the functional value. Branding a product means throwing it in a symbolic universe, by associating him it in a set of tangible profits, of ideas, of feelings and of values.
The symbolic values associated to a brand, called also emotional values are symbolic profits which satisfy the needs of expression of consumers. These symbolic values send social signs of their consumer.
The symbolic values can be identified by feelings of prestige, exclusivity, fashionable, pleasant, sophisticated, extraordinary etc.
However it is indispensable that functional and symbolic values communicate the same concept to the consumer. For example a brand which is associated with "pleasing" symbolic value, has to have a functional value which passes on the same concept, as easy to drink.