Branding vs. marketing — you’ve definitely heard of both and you know they’re important, but you’ve probably wondered what the difference is—and if they’re both truly necessary. There is, in fact, a major difference, both in purpose and practice. We’ll give you a quick rundown.
Brand is the perception that a group of people has of an organization, product, or service, whereas marketing refers to activities a company undertakes to promote the buying or selling of a product or service. The main difference is that branding is not about communicating your message—it’s about establishing it. Branding captures the essence or the culture of your organization by building your brand’s story. It seeks to make an emotional connection and win over the hearts and minds of your customers by establishing long-term relationships and fulfilling a true purpose that permeates and guides your company.
An identity statement is what we call your :30 elevator pitch; it quickly and concisely answers who you are and what you do, while opening the door to further conversation. A positioning statement is for internal purposes only, and rather than focusing on differentiators, it helps your company define where and how you want to take a stand. Your core message is for external purposes and addresses something that truly matters to your customers. These elements then help inform a visual identity, including a logo, colors, fonts, supporting graphics, and a style guide, as well as your website.
Your marketing efforts, then, should be borne out of your brand findings. Marketing puts the branding into practice by communicating things like your voice, tone, and message. You’ll use marketing to tell that brand story, but you’ll also use it to communicate the more rational side of the house that promotes specific products and services—as well as the benefits they offer customers—in a tangible and pragmatic way.
Establishing your brand work can bring increased awareness and loyalty from an audience that pays attention and connects with the brand. And following that up with pragmatic, rational product + service offerings through targeted marketing efforts closes the loop to drive sales. So make sure your company’s 2021 plan includes a brand-first marketing strategy designed to engage, inspire, and ultimately drive leads.