Branding vs. Marketing: how does a company introduce itself to new or potential customers? Anyone can get behind the idea of ‘the more people that know about your business, the better, but it’s important to understand what each entails.
So, to know the difference between branding vs. marketing, this article will show you more about it. A successful branding campaign will draw in more customers and help build a positive reputation, while effective marketing helps generate leads; both work together to achieve success! Keep reading to learn more about how branding and marketing differ and how they work together.
Before we head on and compare branding vs. marketing, we will first define each term.
Branding: What Is It Really?
We’ve all heard the term ‘branding’ used in passing conversation, if not daily speech. Even though we use the word frequently we don’t always understand what it means. So what is branding anyway? Branding is the act of identifying and differentiating your company. It’s not just about visual differentiation; it’s about creating an ‘identity’ for your company that sets you apart from the competition.
While branding was traditionally focused on visual elements like logos, signage, product design, etc., modern-day branding incorporates influencer marketing on social media platforms, search engine optimization (SEO), digital PR campaigns, and more.
Branding is the act of creating an identity for your business through design and marketing. The term comes from its use in livestock management where owners would burn marks into their animals’ skin so they could be identified and tracked easier. Nowadays we use the word to refer to any kind of identifying object including logos, product labels, signage, etc.; anything that makes us think of a particular company or product. Think of Nike’s swoosh, McDonald’s’ golden arches, and Target’s bullseye.
Branding is a vital part of companies that survive in a competitive marketplace by differentiating themselves from their competitors. By creating a strong identity you’ll ensure that people think about your business when they’re in the market for what you sell. When they do, you’ll be the first one who comes to mind! But how do brand owners successfully ‘brand’ their products? What makes some brands stand out more than others? I’ve listed three key factors below:
Three Main Traits Of Successful Brands:
1) Everyone remembers them – Coca-Cola is a classic example of a company whose brand stands out among other soft drink companies. When people think of fizzy drinks they think Coke, Pepsi…and maybe lemonade!
2) They apply to many different products – Apple is probably the best example of this. I can’t remember the last time I used an iPhone that didn’t feature its ‘bitten apple’ logo (okay there was that one time…)
3) They’re unique – Nike’s swoosh really does stand apart from its competitors in terms of design and style. While other companies focused on lettering for their logos, Nike chose something simple yet eye-catching. This minimalistic approach has paid off for them over the years because it allows the mark to be versatile across lots of applications
Marketing: How Do You Get Customers To Notice You?
So you have a great logo design, your web design is top-notch and now’s the time to start promoting your brand online. But wait! Before you can gain traction on social media or even pay for advertising, you have to spend some time building up your brand awareness. So how does that process work? How do you get people interested in learning more about it? Marketing is an essential step towards making this happen. This branch of business intelligence and consumer insights involves promoting and advertising your product or service.
So how does marketing differ from branding? We know what each term means, but we need to understand the differences between them before we can apply them more broadly:
Branding vs. Marketing: To Sum Up
To put it simply, marketing is the process of getting your brand in front of potential customers while branding is about identity. Branding is about what you’re selling; marketing is the act of pitching your company to consumers. Marketing gets people interested in learning more about your business; branding informs consumers about who you are (and why they should choose you over others).
When planning an effective branding campaign it’s important to take into account various factors like target demographics, industry competition, the availability of resources, etc. If you’re on a budget, for example, your branding campaign might be less ‘flashy’ than one launched by a big corporation with more financial backing. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be just as effective!