Branding and Marketing – What Makes Them Different

Most companies, small and big fail to understand the difference between branding and marketing. These two terms are often used interchangeably which makes you think that do convey the same meaning? No. Marketers and brand builders need to have a better understanding of these two concepts and their primary purpose so as to effectively promote and expand their business activities.

So, what is Branding?

Branding can be defined as an expression of the value or truth of a company, service or product. In basic terms brand can be defined as a “term, name, design or symbol, or a combination of all these things that helps to distinguish services and goods of one seller from other sellers”. Branding communicates the characteristics, attributes and values clarifying what a specific brand is and not. You can also think of branding as a ‘delivery of promise’. The ‘promise’ to provide your customers with a satisfying experience and meet all their expectations with your products and/or services. Irrespective of the field you are associated with, the way you interact with your customers, the promotion techniques that you use all forms a part of your branding strategy.

A brand is much more than your products and/or services, it is the feeling and the thought that rests in the minds of your customers about your entire business. Branding actually begins from the point where you establish a purpose for your business. You need to ask yourself different questions like ‘why I chose this business’, ‘what is it that I want to achieve with my business’? Once you have identified the purpose, it’s time to choose a voice and personality for your brand. This will help you to shape up your brand. Next comes, outlining the values and defining your culture. Finally, you communicate your brand to the target audience with the primary purpose of building brand loyalty for your business

Now, What about Marketing?

Let’s start from where we left. Marketing comes in when it is time for you to make people aware about your brand. Market analysis and research along with all the above mentioned steps helps you to figure out where and how you’ll promote your brand so as to reach your audience effectively.

Marketing forms a crucial part of your branding. Your marketing efforts should be based on the values, personality, positioning and tone of voice of your business to get your message delivered across to the people. Marketing is all that you do to promote your products and/or services for better visibility, growth and profit for your business. Another purpose of marketing is to understand and know the exact needs of the customer. Marketing helps you to recognize whether your products and/or services are meeting the expectations of the customer and if not, what steps you need to take to tackle the situation.

Marketing is Your Take Whereas Your Brand is owned by Your Customers

Marketing is much easier to apprehend and control as compared to branding. Marketing is more of a push technique where businesses actively promote their products and/or services. You Tweet, write catchy headlines, choose the designs, make promotional campaigns and determine whether your efforts are successful or not. However, you do not have control over how customers perceive your brand. Unlike marketing, branding involves a pulling technique where the aim of a business is to express the essential value or truth of its organization, service or product. A brand does not convey the message ‘buy me’ instead it focuses on explaining ‘what I am’ thus, attracting potential customers towards it. A brand supports the marketing activities of a company but, does not actively participate in the efforts. When you listen carefully to what your customers are saying instead of talking, that’s when a powerful branding happens. Your customers will direct you to what you need to be, you just need to pay attention and take the appropriate steps so as to make your brand a huge success.

You need to be well-aware of the difference between marketing and branding so that you do not get confused about the tactics. Marketing is all about storytelling. Majority of powerful brands of the world make effective use of their thorough understanding about the difference between marketing and branding to develop marketing and promotional campaigns that work along with their branding strategies.