3 Apr 2022

Branding vs Marketing: Splitting the Differences

Several buzzwords get thrown around when you start building a business. And focusing on keeping them straight is quite imperative. Marketing and branding – are the two particular concepts that mostly get lumped together. Contemplating the difference between the two while effectively utilizing both is very essential for your business growth.

While the two concepts – Branding & Marketing – share overarching goals and often work in tandem, towards building a successful brand, they are, in fact, very different from each other. They have different approaches, different purposes, and generate different results. So, if you want to grow your business on the right path, you need to have a clear understanding of the differences between the two and how to effectively use each to take your business to the next level.

So, what exactly do branding and marketing mean? What are the differences between the two? How can you use branding & marketing to build an impactful business?

Let’s break it down for you!

What is the definition of branding & marketing?

Branding is the marketing practise of actively shaping your brand. It defines who you are as a company, your mission, values, and what makes you special and unique. Branding does not only indicate the tagline or the logo of your company, it’s a blend of visuals and emotions, comprising key elements – logo design, website, brand style guidelines, and a lot more.

“Branding is the act of expressing your brand out in the market!”

On the other hand, marketing is the set of processes, tools, and strategies you use to promote your product, services, or company. It makes your brand stand out from the crowd to make customers notice you. Marketing is more focused on sales with the goal of influencing the audience to make a purchase.

“If branding is who you are, then marketing is how people discover you!”

Both the concepts go hand in hand. If marketing engages customers with your company for the first time, branding keeps them coming back for years to come.

The difference between marketing & brand strategy!

While branding actively shapes your brand through its values, mission, design language, etc., marketing is helpful in bringing it to light by creating brand awareness and promoting your product/service. Since both have different goals and results, you need to have individual strategies too. Here are the key differences:

1. Marketing gets attention while branding keeps it

If you want to get your customers' attention, marketing is an absolute must. The primary goal of marketing is to generate interest in the product or service. However, once you have their attention, there must be a proper brand strategy to keep them coming.

People want to do business with a brand that they believe in. So, while marketing breaks through the clutter and gets your brand in front of the right people, branding keeps them connected. In a nutshell, you need the right marketing strategies to set your brand apart from the competition and smart branding to foster customer relationships, create long-term connections, and keep them coming back.

2. Marketing gets sales while brand strategy drives recognition

Most of the marketing strategies tend to drive sales by reaching out to potential customers. These are more focused on sales and are based on a shorter time frame. The process includes several smaller steps such as – search engine optimisation, content promotion, social advertising, promotional emails, etc.

Whereas, branding is a different and more long-term approach. It covers everything from building brand recognition to driving positive brand sentiment and fostering customer loyalty that has a major impact on your ability to drive sales in the long run.

3. Branding is fixed while marketing is flexible

Marketing efforts should constantly change and adapt according to your audience, offerings, platform, trends, and occasions. It changes regularly in response to your customers' requirements, general market trends, and the product/service you deliver.

While your brand message ideally remains the same through all your endeavours. It’s how your customers remember you and like you. This includes your brand logo, website, tagline, etc.

4. Branding comes first and then marketing

Although marketing drives sales and provides the initial traction for the brand, it always comes second. Before putting a marketing strategy in place, you need to focus on your branding – who are you as a brand? What do you want to deliver in the marketplace? And, most importantly, how are you going to interact with your target customers?

Only when you have answers to these questions, you are ready to have a brand. And when you have a brand, you are ready for marketing.

Building and promoting – branding!

If you have a large or small, retail or B2B, or any other kind of business, branding is one of the most important aspects. An effective brand strategy not only offers your business an edge in the market but also carves out a niche in the industry.

Following are the steps to a successful brand strategy:

Do the research - Discover your company’s mission, benefits and features of the products, customer views, and qualities you want to associate with your company. Once you have planned the basics, you can easily focus on creating your brand.
Define your brand - This involves giving your brand a proper identity by deciding the following factors – brand name, logo design, brand identity, tagline, etc.
Promote on social platforms - Sharing relevant and compelling information on social media platforms can be very helpful. This makes more people become loyal to your business and even promotes brand awareness.
Display the benefits & prove your brand will stay - Rather than focusing on present-day goals, your brand should always deliver products/services that benefit in the long run. Your promotional emails/messages should have long-term potential.

Still, have doubts? Well, you can always consult Woc Branding agency to create a good brand identity and promote your brand awareness!

A holistic approach towards hiring a branding agency

Showcasing your company’s growth or products becomes quite difficult if your brand doesn’t reflect it. While it is essential to stick around the products/services, updating the ways of promoting them can help you grow your business. Here is a glimpse of why you need to hire a branding agency to promote your services and earn profits in return!

Fresh Outlook Whether you have a creative team or an internal marketing team, hiring a branding agency will offer a fresh pair of eyes to your brand. Your regular teams are exposed to the company’s branding every day. While a new group of people brings in fresh ideas and the latest trends to promote your brand.
Innovation Opportunities Hiring a branding agency brings in a perspective of innovation that the internal creative might disregard. A completely unbiased opinion creates room for strategic opportunities.
Access to Better Tools A branding agency is aware of techniques to create a brand image that expresses the company’s culture, vision, and objectives. To distinguish the brand in the market, digital branding agencies have their own marketing tools that might not be available with the in-house creative team.
Greater ROI Companies have to invest money and time in branding their product or service. However, hiring a branding agency goes beyond the employees’ skill set and generates advanced opportunities which in turn grows the business, bringing in more profits.
Cross-industry Experience Branding agencies bring with them the expertise of a cross-section of industries. They come with an experience that can give your business a fresh perspective as your brand is no longer confined to the industry in which it operates.

Wrapping Up!

Understanding the key differences between marketing and branding allows you to combine the two correctly and efficiently. Building a brand and marketing it, both when together done right, can help your business reach greater heights and earn more profits for a longer time. Although marketing is the first line of your brand, without proper brand strategy tools it has no direction.

Refer to the Woc Branding agency for a team of experts to promote your business the right way!