For a business of any size, both branding and marketing will create value. They do so in different ways. Today, we pitted them head-to-head. Let’s talk about branding vs marketing and how both can provide value for your business.
Your marketing and branding efforts will likely overlap and blend together at times. So, what’s the difference and how do you master both? We specialize in creating logo and branding packages and we provide digital marketing services. We’ve covered the major differences with marketing and branding below.
Your Brand
Simply put, your brand is the identity of your company or organization.
A business isn’t just a collection of products, equipment, and talent that happens to be under the same roof. In reality, a business is a group of people with ideas, values, and personality.
Branding is the opportunity to express these intangible elements of your operation to users and potential customers. Branding is the opportunity to get creative and let your business express itself.
In a literal sense, your branding will include your logo, typeface, slogan, color profile, website, theme, and any physical branding material like t-shirts or hats. Separate, these feel like small details customers will overlook. But together, brand elements tell a comprehensive story of who your business is. Professional branding has the power to make the difference.
Take, for example, Nike. It’s a brand chosen by thousands of the world’s finest athletes. Their iconic logo, the Swoosh, is sleek and stylish just like you’d expect from the sports world’s biggest, fastest, and strongest. Their slogan, Just Do It, perfectly matches the driven mindset you’d expect a dedicated athlete to have and positions the brand as an innovator. All of this together represents Nike’s brand.
Nike has created a brand that perfectly matches the values of their customers and represents the mission of the sports equipment retailer.
Want to position yourself as stylish and innovative? Well, your logo and product packaging will be seen thousands of times. Here is the opportunity to make a professional brand identity and achieve your goals.
Interestingly, 77 percent of consumers make purchasing decisions based solely on the brand name. So, professional logo and branding services or professional web design services may be worth the time and investment.
Your Marketing
Marketing messages will actually close the deal.
Marketing includes your website content, social media posts, digital advertising, content, search engine optimization strategy, special promotions, blogs, newsletters, and sales messaging.
Messages in content marketing should reflect the best selling points of your business and products. Emphasize the value you can create for customers with your marketing messaging. Here is where you communicate the solutions you can provide to the customers’ problems.
Key differences of Marketing and Branding
Successful branding is harder to measure. A great logo and brand identity will create an intrinsic feeling of professionalism that customers will remember when it comes time to make purchasing decisions. But, rarely will customers admit to purchasing a product because of your shiny logo. Likewise, if something about your brand identity isn’t connecting with potential customers, you likely won’t know until it’s too late. This makes getting a professional and attractive brand identity vitally important.
Marketing success is easier to measure. An ad campaign will bring in more phone calls, web traffic, or in-store purchases. If it doesn’t, you’ll notice this too. If social media messages or email campaigns aren’t resonating with your target audience, analytics will tell this story.
Marketing messages might align with competition at times. If your products are similar and can give customers the same kind of benefits, then your marketing messages will likely be similar. However, your branding should always be 100 percent unique. It is always a good idea to consider competitors in business, but use your branding to make yourself stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Logos or slogans should reflect elements of your business that only your business can provide. Get creative and create a one-of-a-kind brand identity.
Key similarities
So, in the case of branding vs marketing we’ve established the two are very different. But marketing messaging and branding should run close alongside one another.
Marketing campaigns should match the established guidelines for brand values and company culture. If you’ve established your brand voice to be serious in nature then a light-hearted or humorous marketing message won’t be appropriate.
When comparing branding vs marketing, another similarity lies in the details.
Both branding and marketing require attention to important details. Changing a simple marketing call-to-action at the end of a message or post could be the difference between making a sale and not.
Marketing messages and advertisements need to be proofread and highly scrutinized.
Similarly, your brand identity will be viewed countless times by potential and returning customers. Failing to perfect the details will certainly be noticed by segments of your target audience.
Both branding and marketing allow for team members to get creative. In a crowded landscape of marketing messages and competitors, creative ideas will attract attention and win potential customers.
The benefits of both
In the game of branding vs marketing, there is no winner. Both provide value and benefits for your organization.
Both will bring professionalism and goodwill to your brand.
Marketing and branding will build trust with your audience and strengthen the connections you have with clientele. This will translate into increased customer loyalty and at the end of the day, sales.
There’s more to learn about branding and marketing. Contact us today or keep reading about branding topics if you’re in need of more information.
