It’s easy to see why people often use the terms ‘branding’ and ‘marketing’ as if they mean the same thing, because they are interdependent. Both are used to promote a company, product, or service but in different aspects. Here is a quick breakdown of branding vs. marketing.
BRANDING
Branding is a process of creating a unique and recognizable name, image, symbol, or font that represents a business, product, or offering.
Defining a brand’s values or mission is also a crucial aspect of the branding process. Determining the guiding principles and beliefs that the brand stands for helps shape its overall identity and positioning. Establishing the brand’s personality or brand voice is also important. The tone of communication used by a company can for instance be either professional or informal, depending on the desired image and the target audience. The tone should align with the brand’s values and appeal to the intended customer base. In the case of Coca-Cola, the script font and the red and white colors are easily recognizable. These visual elements, along with the brand’s history and reputation, contribute to its strong brand identity making it easily identifiable to consumers.
elements of the branding process
- BRAND IDENTITY: The visual and verbal elements that collectively represent the brand. These elements include the logo, tagline, brand colors, typography, imagery, and brand voice.
- BRAND POSITIONING: How the brand is positioned in relation to its competitors and in the minds of consumers. This positioning is based on factors such as the brand’s target audience, competitive landscape, and the key attributes and benefits that set the brand apart.
- BRAND MESSAGING: The consistent communication of the brand’s values, benefits, and unique selling propositions (USP) to its target audience. It involves crafting messages that effectively convey who the brand is, what it stands for and what it does best. Brand messaging aims to create a compelling and memorable story around the brand, resonating with the target audience and building brand affinity.
- BRAND EXPERIENCE: Encompasses all the interactions and touch points that customers have with a brand. Brand experience includes everything from the design and functionality of the product or service to the packaging, customer service, retail environment, and digital experience. The brand experience plays a vital role in shaping the perception and feelings customers have toward a brand. A positive brand experience can create customer loyalty, advocacy, and ultimately drive repeat business.
Marketing
Marketing’s aim is to promote and sell products or services to customers. It’s important to first understand your customer needs and preferences, then identify target markets that are most likely to be interested in your company’s offerings. Marketing strategies can then be developed to effectively reach and engage with those target markets.
elements of the Marketing process
- MARKET RESEARCH: Gathering and analyzing data to understanding of customer needs, desires, and what motivates them to make purchasing decisions.
- IDENTIFYING TARGET MARKETS: Once a customer’s needs are understood, the next step is to identify target markets. These are specific groups of customers who share similar demographics, characteristics, or behaviors that make them more likely to be interested in the company’s product or service.
- MARKETING STRATEGY: Developing a plan to achieve marketing goals, such as increasing the awareness of the brand, increasing sales, or expanding its share of the market though. Strategies are formulated to reach and engage with the identified target markets. This involves determining the most appropriate marketing channels (such as advertising, social media, email marketing, etc.) to use, crafting compelling messages and offers that resonate with the target audience, and selecting suitable promotional tactics.
- ADVERTISING AND SELLING: Creating awareness about the offering and reaching the target audience to communicate the brand’s message through advertising, public relations, content marketing, and other promotional methods.
- SALES AND DISTRIBUTION: Marketing also involves ensuring the products or services are delivered to customers efficiently and effectively. It also includes managing distribution channels, supply chains, and customer service processes to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business.
In essence, the difference between branding vs. marketing is simple. Branding sets the foundation for marketing efforts by defining the brand’s identity. Marketing implements strategies to reach and engage with customers. Effective marketing relies on a strong brand identity and consistent messaging that resonates with the target audience.
