Why is branding different from marketing? You’re not the only one who wonders this. There are certainly connections between the two, but they differ in a few ways.
In order to effectively use branding and marketing together, it is imperative that you understand both topics in great detail. Read on to learn more about how marketing differs from branding.
Branding: What Is It?
Marketing is about building awareness of your brand. Branding is about who you are. Marketing encompasses your strategic goals while branding is about your identity. Asking yourself several questions will help you identify your brand.
In addition to general questions about your industry, and your services and products, it is good to ask about your brand and who you are as a company.
Answering the questions above will help you understand the difference between branding vs. marketing. Making elaborate answers will be a productive use of your time, as will bouncing them off colleagues and mentors. From the questions, it becomes evident that they are all related to your internal processes and culture. Accordingly, what you do on the inside will reflect on the outside.
It is through your branding that your consumers will know what to expect from you and what they will experience when using your products or services. You can then use your branding to lead up to and underpin your marketing efforts, both today and in the future, by clearly defining who you are.
How Does Marketing Work?
Marketers refer to the tools they use to communicate their message when speaking of marketing versus branding. In the same way that products and services that you offer are constantly changing and evolving, marketing will change as well.
Specifically targeted marketing will be geared toward sectors of your target audience while maintaining your brand’s core values.
There are many aspects of marketing. Whether it is funny or serious, it can be heartfelt. Among the various types of content can be text, keywords, photos, graphs, charts, and videos. Various methods of marketing will be used some of the most common being:
- Search engine optimization
- Marketing with content
- Marketing through social media
- PPC Marketing
- Marketing via mobile devices
- TV
- On the radio
- Campaigns printed in print
In addition to online marketing, there are other methods of marketing you may wish to consider working on your marketing campaign. You can change your marketing methods drastically from year to year, or from season to season, but your brand will never change.
Branding Or Marketing – Which Comes First?
Your marketing strategy must be centered around your brand, so branding must be the first consideration. Before you start creating your specific marketing methods, tools, strategies, and tactics, it is essential to clearly define who you are as a brand.
As the foundation upon which you will build consumer loyalty, your brand is what keeps customers coming back for more. Whether they are independently owned or large corporations, restaurants, and retailers in your local area rely on their brands to attract customers. You can take this example as an example: you and your family pick up and order prescriptions from the same pharmacy. You most likely have been a customer of the pharmacy or drugstore where you shop for years, whether they are locally owned or part of a large chain. It is the quality of their brand that makes you come back again and again, even though you can purchase the same prescription at any other pharmacy.
Marketing methods are continually evolving, and they respond to the environment and cultural trends of the day. Branding remains constant. Although you may make adjustments to your brand from time to time, these changes are usually due to growth or expanded services offered but rarely lead to a complete overhaul of the principles, mission, or values of your company.
In addition to the attributes of quality, community, convenience, and communication, your branding may specifically address a specific need that your target audience has.
Don’t forget also to brand yourself and your team on a daily basis and with every transaction you process, with every phone call you receive, and with every email you send. You tend to outsource some or all of your marketing to marketing professionals. The difference between branding and marketing is that branding refers to who you are — whereas marketing refers to how you attract consumers. Consider branding as your way of retaining customers and marketing as your way of attracting new ones.
Overlap Between Branding And Marketing
Marketing and branding are distinctly different, but there is one area where they overlap. A company’s branding and marketing efforts become one and the same when it selects imagery for ongoing use. According to the saying, “A picture speaks a thousand words.” Keeping that in mind, when choosing your company colors, graphics, and logos, be sure to keep in mind that they must first represent your brand; however, your logo colors and graphics play a significant role in your ongoing marketing campaigns as well. So you should design your logos using premade logo templates or hire a professional designer, based on your budget.
Knowing the Difference Between Branding and Marketing Is Crucial
Even if you understand the differences between marketing and branding, you may not yet realize how important it is to understand both—it’s all about conversions. Despite the fact that you could create your marketing strategies purely based on keyword trends and the most effective marketing methods within your industry, your conversions would be lowered if your consumers did not connect with you.
What makes a brand timeless is its branding. Your current marketing efforts may engage customers, but it is your ongoing branding that keeps them coming back for more. There is fierce competition, and there are other companies that offer the same or similar products and services to your own. The key to keeping customers is your brand. You build loyalty and trust through your brand. Branding sets you apart from the competition.
It is possible to achieve success without branding, but your success will be much greater with branding. Creating a strong structure requires a solid starting point and foundation, and knowing the difference between marketing and branding will help you build a solid base of branding -and your extensions through marketing.
