The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word MANUFACTURER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
M
A
N
U
F
A
C
T
U
R
E
R
More clues leading to the result MANUFACTURER
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "brand" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case brand = manufacturer.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MANUFACTURER mean?
MANUFACTURER noun- One that manufactures