People often get confused about branding and marketing. Some feel that both concepts are the same and use them interchangeably whenever required. The truth is that even though branding and marketing are connected, there is a huge world of difference between the two.
In the world of business, it’s important to understand the differences in detail so that all strategic efforts of the organization can be performed in the right direction.
So, what exactly is the difference between Branding and Marketing?
There exists a wide spectrum of opinions on the differences between branding and marketing. The following pointers will attempt to capture the differences in its entirety:
- Why vs How
Branding represents why your business exists. It represents your company’s objectives, values, and culture, which when portrayed correctly will help to connect with the target audience.
Marketing is the process that explains how your brand’s message will be spread across the world. It comprises promotional activities that helps to reach out to your target audience in a quick and efficient manner.
- Long-term vs Short-term
Branding efforts that establish your company’s identity are long-term in nature and helps the target audience gain a clear picture about what your business stands for.
Marketing efforts are timebound and short-term in nature. A marketing campaign is launched for a pre-determined duration to promote a specific product or service.
- Focusing on Reputation vs Targeting Sales
A brand associated with a lot of positivity will gain a boost in reputation that lasts for a long time. If the brand suffers a hit, the reputation goes haywire.
Marketing’s main focus is to gain quality leads or sales. This will help a company achieve its monthly or yearly targets. If a marketing campaign suffers a hit, the company will only incur financial losses. They can bounce back with a more effective campaign with the reputation remaining intact.
- Loyal Customers vs New Customers
Loyal customers have experienced your services and become accustomed to the brand. They are willing to go the extra mile to seek your services and remain long-term customers of your brand.
New customers are attracted to your product/service through a marketing campaign. They will emotionally connect with your brand only after getting satisfied with your offering.
- Pull vs Push
Branding is the soul of any business and precedes all marketing efforts. It deploys a pull strategy that focuses on communicating about the values and characteristics of a company.
Marketing adopts a push strategy through a series of marketing campaigns on TV, print media, social media, or emails.
We hope this article places you on the right path to making efficient strategy decisions that keep in mind the differences between these key concepts. Whether it’s branding tips or marketing tips, our team provides excellent insights that can help your business stay ahead of competition. You can also make use of our giveaways to have an awesome business impact!