Branding vs. Marketing is a long standing debate among marketers.
If you are just starting out in marketing, you might be confused between these two very famous terms – marketing and branding.
And you might be wondering, are these two terms different?
Short answer – Yes.
Let’s see what these two terms mean and how to use them judiciously.
Meaning of Branding
When people come across your name, they conjure up a certain image of yours in their minds.
How you look, how you talk, how you behave and what are your distinct qualities and what do they believe about you.
Well, all these attributes, combined together form an identity. This identity is your brand.
Same is with businesses too. When you think of Coca-Cola, you instantly think of it being a friendly, refreshing and happy brand.
Now let’s see what experts think of branding.
By definition,
“A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.”
-(American Marketing Association)
Whoa! Quite a lot of words packed into this sentence!
Let’s break it down.
They say:
A brand can be a:
- Name (Coca-Cola)
- Term (Xerox)
- Design (BMW’s Signature Kidney-Grille Pattern)
- Symbol (Apple logo)
Or any other feature (Netflix’s Tu Dum sound)
All of these elements represent a brand.
These elements help to identify a seller’s good or service from others.
Now, let’s quickly see what marketing is about.
Meaning of Marketing
Marketing is essentially any activity that is aimed to promote a business in order to gain revenue.
By the book,
Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.
-(American Marketing Association)
Again, a lot of terms and entities involved.
Let’s simplify.
The definition says marketing is:
an activity (advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing or inbound)
set of institutions (marketing frameworks like AIDA)
processes (marketing research, strategy, etc.)
Which are utilized for
- creating (writing ad copy or designing ad creatives)
- communicating (running ads on TV or posting on social media)
- delivering (providing services or selling products)
- exchanging (exchange offers on electronics, apparels etc.)
That generates value for
- customers/clients (primary target market)
- partners (internal stakeholders)
- society at large (common public)
Noticed how marketing and branding are so different?
Branding is about creating an identity that differentiates you from others, while marketing is about communicating your identity so that people will eventually buy from you.
But you may question, if that is so, can branding be included in marketing.
To answer this, let’s move to our next section.
Is Branding Part of Marketing?
Time to get this straight. Branding is at the core of any marketing activity.
So yes, branding is an inseparable part of marketing.
Doesn’t matter if you are a startup or an established company, any marketing campaign you plan will revolve around your brand.
If it isn’t then, you are missing the most fundamental element, i.e. your identity.
Let’s imagine. In January, you are a cool, calm, happy-going person. You are talking to everyone with great respect and energy.
In February, you are totally the opposite. Angry, grumpy and yelling at anyone you meet.
In March, you are a neutral person, who isn’t that excited or angry in the prior two months.
Again in April, you are brimming with energy and enthusiasm.
What will your family and friends think of you?
They will be unable to determine what kind of person you actually are and since you keep changing your personality, they won’t be able to trust you even if they want to.
It is the exact same thing that happens with businesses too.
If businesses don’t have a well-defined brand identity or don’t take branding into account while creating marketing strategies or campaigns. Otherwise, you will not able to gain the most essential aspect on which the entire business runs – TRUST.
Even if you are a startup, it is essential to clearly define who you are as a brand—before you begin to devise your specific marketing methods, tools, strategies, and tactics.
Okay now, we have been clear about what branding and marketing actually mean and how branding and marketing are co-related.
But still there are fundamental differences between the two. Let’s have a look at those.
How Branding Differs from Marketing?
A brand will help encourage someone to buy a product, and it directly supports whatever sales or marketing activities are in play, but the brand does not explicitly say “buy me.”
Instead, it says “This is what I am. This is why I exist. If you agree, if you like me, you can buy me, support me, and recommend me to your friends.”
Marketing on the other hand, helps to amplify your product or service, and adopts a more direct approach. It says “If you buy from me, you will get these benefits. This is my offer. It’s holiday season, so flat 50% off, just for this weekend!”
To give you crystal clear idea where branding and marketing differ, I have prepared the following table:
| BRANDING | MARKETING |
| Branding is “WHY” | Marketing is “HOW” |
| Branding is “STRATEGIC” | Marketing is “TACTICAL” |
| Branding “CREATES” value | Marketing “EXTRACTS” value |
| Branding “BUILDS” loyalty | Marketing “GETS” responses |
Hope this table would have made things pretty clear now. If you are interested for to explore these differences elaborately, check our infographic on difference between branding and marketing.
Ending Notes
Even though marketing and branding are different, they cannot work in isolation.
Top marketers, leaders and entrepreneurs know this fact, and they smartly leverage the synergies between the two.
The reason why Apple is a $2 Tn company is not just solely because of branding or marketing. It uses both.
So it’s time to use branding as your fuel and marketing as gasoline, and see your business rocketship zoom past horizon.
Liked this article? Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.
