Branding vs advertising vs marketing
September 14, 2009 at 9:20 amOften we’re asked what the difference is between branding, marketing, advertising and PR.
Firstly, the key point about branding is focus. A focused business is a focused brand. Essentially if you say what you do, then do what you say, you’ll have the best chance of building a valuable brand.
That’s it, all there is too it!
OK, maybe there is a little more involved, in particular how do you know what it is you need to say? This is often really hard if you are in the business and therefore too close to provide some clarity. After all it’s really about what your customer thinks, and needs. So let’s get back to the key question by sounding out what these areas of business promotion are.
Advertising
Has been around for centuries, and will always have a place in our society. Advertising is the act of telling people what you do, and why they need your product and service.
Marketing
Using all the forms of communication, including advertising, direct marketing, websites, networking etc. A marketer will provide a mix of promotional mediums that they see will work best to get you message across, and to whom.
Branding
This is the core message that your business owns. It is what your business is seen to ‘do’, the focus for that business. This is the one area where it is of utmost importance for all of the parties involved to have a strong understanding of what their business is. If the business owner knows this, it then ensures that if you advertise or market, every contact gives the same message.
Unfortunately the horse gets put before the cart, and the branding focus is overlooked and businesses jump straight into the advertising trap. Then the website gives a slightly different message, as does the way the employee treats the customer, until all these touch points are so out of whack that the core focus is lost on the customer. The advertising campaign then loses much of its power through dilution from these other communication methods.
Ironically this is what’s happened with the meaning of branding. Through misuse and inconsistency the word ‘branding’ has so many perceived meanings that the core meaning, and therefore the benefits it can have for businesses, is lost.
We are told ‘branding’ means – a logo; a group of products; an advertising campaign; a graphic design that respects the ‘rules’ of the logo.
What branding should really do is give the power back to the owners, to make better advertising decisions, a streamlined message for all avenues of marketing and advertising, and direction within their business as to what they want it to be in the future (I think they call these ‘goals’). This brand reminder also stops businesses from getting off track and forgetting what it is they are in business for, and what the do that’s different to their competition, making them a better consumer choice.
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Outstanding points on the comparison among the three business fields. Thanks for the great read.
Comment by Corporate Branding Identity | Tony — September 28, 2009 #