What’s The Difference Between Branding and Marketing?
For anyone new to business, working out the difference between branding and marketing can be complicated. The terms are often thrown about by business gurus and experts, as they’re crucial to any successful business plan. But before you can even begin planning, you need to recognize the differences so you can optimize their use. So, what even is branding? How does it relate to marketing? Oh, and what exactly is marketing? Let’s take a look.
What is Branding?
Your brand is the gut feeling people get from your business. It’s the feel and message of a business. Branding is the practice of crafting and communicating that. Branding expert Seth Godin said branding 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.”
Branding Can Be:
• Your company’s visuals
• Logos
• Color Schemes
• Fonts
• Images, videos and animations
• The look and physical feel of your packaging
• The experience you provide your customers.
Brand Personality and Values
The best brands, the ones that stick in your memory, all have a unique personality. They clearly transmit emotions and ideas. One of the most obvious examples is Nike. The Nike brand is all about inspiration and motivation. “Just do it.” is a slogan that instantly gets across what they’re all about, attracting athletes off all levels to join them. Coupled with clean designs and the fast looking swoosh and you’ve got successful branding in a nutshell.
Branding Guidelines
To maintain a consistent brand image, you must set standards and guidelines so that all departments and projects are on the same page. For example, if the logo designer, product designer, web developer and social media manager all know that your brand wants to look premium and elegant, then you’ll see that displayed in all areas of the brand. Guidelines should include rules on logo placement, brand colors, fonts, slogans and language.
What is Marketing?
Marketing is the act of finding the best audience for your brand and the efforts you make to reach them, in order to generate sales. It involves data, analysis and creative ideas to make potential customers take action.
Marketing Can Be:
• Content Creation
• Commercials
• Blogs
• Social Media
• Sales Emails
• Product Placement
Marketing for Profit
Marketing is all about getting people to spend their money, to follow your business and actually be able to see your brand. That’s the case for all businesses, whether it’s a start-up or multi-national corporation.
Just like branding, successful marketing must be consistent with the business’ values. One wrong step here could jeopardize your reputation. That’s why a balance is needed between being salesy and helpful. Give your audience a reason to trust and use you, rather than making them feel like you’re using them.
How Branding and Marketing Work Together
The reason people get so confused with the difference between branding and marketing is that they’re intertwined. They frequently use each other to propel a business forward.
Firstly, a brand strategy informs everything you see in marketing campaigns. Without a brand strategy, the designers and employees you turn to won’t share the same vision. Everything will be a mess and out of step with the values you want to uphold.
On the other hand, marketing supports branding by giving it the platform to thrive. It identifies and targets your ideal audiences in the places with the most exposure. It decides when and where a commercial should be placed and which products should be highlighted throughout the year.
Although the difference between branding and marketing is important, they both need each other. Without each other, they collapse. They’re integral to keeping businesses running smoothly through growth and business changes.
Hire a Brand Designer to Define Your Business
For over six years, I’ve helped leading businesses and organizations around the world to define their brand and fulfill their potential. From packaging to web designs, my work can help you stand tall in your industry with a strong and unique brand image.
If your business needs a brand designer, then contact me today to get started.
Email
info@benbrushdesign.com
Phone
902 890 8285