Branding VS Marketing: Difference Between Them

Table of Contents

1 About branding
2 About marketing
3 What is the Difference Between Branding And Marketing?
4 About branding vs. marketing vs. advertising
5 About Renaissance Marketing

Branding and marketing. You can have one without the other, but you probably shouldn’t. Branding and marketing are two components that determine the success of your product or service. Savvy business owners understand the nuance of branding vs. marketing and how to leverage each to their advantage. At Renaissance Marketing, we educate business owners about the role of branding and marketing in an effective campaign that helps your business flourish. Let’s break down what branding and marketing are, why they are important, and how they work together.

About branding

What is branding?

In its simplest form, your brand is who you are. It is an intangible concept that reflects your core values and offers a narrative of what you offer your customers. Branding is a continuous process that creates the overall perception of your product or service and maintains and grows it to meet the demands of your market. Successful branding also says a great deal about the experience you provide your target audience. Brand identity is the collection of visible ingredients created to establish brand image and increase recognition. These elements include a logo, font, color, tagline, mascot, and more.

Why is branding important?

Branding makes you visible in the crowded field of competition. People will only buy what you have to sell if they have heard of it, trust it, and understand why it is better than other products. A comprehensive branding strategy will:

Create visual impact.
Boost brand awareness.
Generate traffic.
Establish trust.
Build loyalty.
Influence decision-making.
Retain customers.
Extend market potential.

Customers formulate their opinion of your brand within ten seconds. That is why expert guidance from Renaissance Marketing is essential from the start.

What should I consider first when creating my brand?

Creating your brand is more than settling on Times New Roman and particular shade of blue. Begin with a thorough inventory of why you are in business and what you want to convey with your product or service. This will include your values, principles, and even your mission statement. Next, be able to list what makes your product or service unique. Finally, consider what you want your customers to feel when they use your product and what comes to mind when they hear its name or see its logo. If someone asked a consumer to describe your brand, what would you want them to say? Take enough time to answer these questions, and seek feedback for more ideas. The results reflect your culture and organization internally and radiate into your brand externally.

What is involved in the branding process?

The branding process is intensive and requires research, creativity, and organization. Steps include:

Research your market. To rise above the competition, you must first know what that competition is. Identify what works and what doesn’t work for similar products or services. Determine your company’s position in the market and whether or not there is legitimate room for growth.
Research your audience. Who do you want to buy your product or utilize your service? You may think knowing your target audience is only important when marketing your business. It is vital to understand your desired consumer when making your brand because you want it to reflect your customer’s values. Your fundamental image needs to mirror that of your customer. To be successful, your brand should convey the same priorities as your customer and fill a need specific to your target audience.
Develop a strategy. You now know who you are and what you want to communicate. At this stage, you establish short and long-term goals and the steps to achieve them. Here you will articulate your brand’s position, maximize strength and opportunity, and specify ways to connect your brand to your audience.
Create a visual identity. This is the step most people associate with branding. Here you will create a name and logo. You will choose the typeface and color scheme. You might have a unique catchphrase or mascot. Your brand identity will be displayed on signs, stationery, advertisements, websites, and more. The right visual image is crucial, but what is most important is the reaction your customers have to it.
Launch your brand. This is the point where your product or service is introduced. Many companies start with an internal launch to show their workforce and offer training so they understand the brand. Your external launch may be one fantastic event or a series of steps. Brand launch is also the point where marketing and branding overlap. Your brand is who you are, and marketing shares that with the world.
Build your brand. Work is never done when it comes to maintaining and furthering your brand. As your target audience evolves, your brand’s message must also evolve. This means adjusting your brand to keep it relevant. It is yet another reason it is wise to have an experienced digital marketing agency like Renaissance Marketing in your corner.

What are examples of strong brands?

AirBnB. There was a point where sleeping in a stranger’s home was not the first choice when vacationing. That changed with the incredible branding of AirBnB that convinced us that staying with strangers is a viable alternative to hotels. AirBnB’s championed its mission of bringing together hosts, guests, and the communities in which they operate. The organization found its niche in the hospitality industry and associated its brand with adventure and fun. Its success is reflected in operations in almost 200 countries globally and billions of annual revenue.

Ben & Jerry’s. Yes, their ice cream is good, but their brand has excelled because the company’s values are incorporated into every step of the process. This Vermont-based company uses its brand to promote racial justice, fair trade, LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, and more. These commitments increased its customer base and even allowed the company to scale down its official branding to focus on raising awareness of its causes rather than flavors.

Nike. The Nike swoop is one of the most iconic and recognizable logos ever designed. The brand was built targeting professional athletes and expanded with one powerful idea. Empowerment. They didn’t limit their brand to a specific sport and chose to feature their brand on people with their game faces on, not unrealistic supermodels or smiling marathon runners. Their tagline, “Just Do It,” denotes a clear and powerful message. The Nike brand successfully promotes power and innovation.

About marketing

What is marketing?

When looking at branding vs. marketing, it is necessary to understand that branding cultivates what your customers can expect from you. In contrast, marketing uses tools to deliver this idea to the consumer. Marketing involves taking specific actions to attract your target audience, convey the message and value of your brand, and generate sales. Marketing is mainly getting people interested in your product or service. This can only happen after branding, where you can fully understand your ideal customer’s values and interests. Marketing involves all aspects of the business, from development to distribution and advertising to sales. Renaissance Marketing effectively implements your sales and promotion objectives through proven avenues.

Why is marketing important?

Increased sales are not the goal of marketing; they are the result of it. Marketing strategies define your product or service, facilitate connections, build your customer base, and accelerate growth.

Effective marketing enhances consumer engagement. Companies have to engage customers. Marketing tells customers what they don’t already know and creates positive content about your business. Engaged customers want to learn more.
Effective marketing builds and maintains your hard-earned reputation. Your quality product or service meets and exceeds your customer’s expectations. Marketing communicates that positive feedback to create a strong and lasting image. Marketing also promotes, monitors, and acquires positive brand contact to maintain your reputation for the long haul.
Effective marketing builds relationships with customers. You want your target audience to patronize your business repeatedly. Marketing harnesses the power of consumer behavior and builds relationships with consumers through customized messaging and calls to action that sparks interest in your company beyond the specific product or service that brought you to their attention.
Effective marketing boosts sales. Marketing funnels customers to the right place, entices them to choose your brand rather than similar products, and reminds repeat customers why they began shopping with you initially. Potential customers are great. Actual customers keep you in business.

What are some ways to use digital marketing for my brand?

The number of ways to market your brand is vast and overwhelming. Unfortunately, not every marketing avenue is appropriate for every brand. Traditional radio, newspaper, television, or print campaign methods have been eclipsed by digital marketing solutions, from search engine optimization to geographically targeted mobile advertising. Renaissance Marketing offers unparalleled digital marketing services. Here are three examples:

Social media marketing. This tool uses social media and social networks to market products and services to new and existing customers. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest allow for real-time connection and interaction from consumers. The data collected from social media is priceless in reaching your audience. Social media marketing is also extremely cost-effective because of the extraordinary reach of these channels.
Search engine optimization (SEO) improves the quantity and quality of your website traffic originating from search engines like Google or Bing. SEO considers how search engines operate with programmed algorithms that dictate search engine behavior, search terms and keywords entered by the end user, and which search engines are used by the intended audience. The goal is to rank on the search engine results page as high as possible. SEO targets organic or unpaid traffic. This differs from paid or sponsored search engine results appearing at the page’s top when key terms are entered. SEO can be achieved through many avenues, including link building, social media, and guest blogging.
Pay-per-click (PPC) is a form of digital advertising where the advertiser pays a fee each time an ad is clicked. You are essentially charged each time your app, landing page, or website receives a targeted visit. Your digital ads can appear on a search engine, website, social media platform, and much more. These ads can be simple or elaborate, large or small, and can contain text, images, audio, and video. Platforms that offer PPC advertising reward advertisers who create trustworthy and relevant PPC campaigns with better ad positioning and potentially lower costs. This is because platforms want to keep their users happy.

What are examples of successful marketing strategies?

Spotify. This music streaming service is now a global sensation. Their marketing efforts focus on why their brand is so different from competing services. Spotify uses AI to suggest new music to their users and filter tracks by genre. Spotify’s marketing makes the experience personal, partners with other brands (e.g., free Spotify with Starbucks Rewards), and stays current on social media trends.

Geico. This small insurance company that started with government employees as customers has exploded into one of the most easily recognized insurance brands in the world. Their marketing concepts involve consistent branding with the Geico gecko and use humor for memorable messaging. Geico also uses a wide variety of channels to reach its consumer base.

Southwest Airlines. Despite recent operational setbacks, Southwest Airlines has a superb marketing strategy that produces results. Southwest was the first no-frills airline, and its marketing lets customers know they save money by forgoing the frills for frugality. By offering periodic substantially reduced fares and no charge for bags, flyers flock to Southwest to go travel in every direction.

What is the Difference Between Branding And Marketing?

Branding comes before marketing. You must define what your brand is before you tell the world about it. For example, there may be several grocery stores close to your home. You go to your favorite store repeatedly because you trust the brand.

Branding stays more consistent than marketing. Your brand represents your core values, product benefit, and more. Even if you make adjustments to your brand in response to changes in your target audience, it remains essentially the same. Marketing options change with technology, cost, and what it will take to meet your goals.

Branding and marketing overlap in the visual representation of your brand. Your logo and tagline are an integral part of marketing efforts. When you are choosing graphics and fonts, they should represent your brand but should also be easy to read and noticeable for a successful marketing campaign.

Branding makes you unique. Marketing makes your customers appreciate it. A house stands for a long time on a strong foundation. Branding is that foundation. It is your identity and timeless connection to your customer base. Marketing calls attention to your brand and serves as a vessel to communicate your message.

About branding vs. marketing vs. advertising

Branding shapes the consumer’s perception of your product or service. Marketing learns about your target audience, identifies the need your brand will fill, and shows your audience how your product will provide the solution. Advertising is the placement of paid messages in specific areas for a defined period of time to influence patronage of your business.

Branding is who you are.
Marketing prepares the message.
Advertising spreads the word.

About Renaissance Marketing

Renaissance is a full-service digital marketing and public relations agency. We are your partner in efforts to maintain, create and grow your organization’s customers, brand, and reputation. We know that your message should be clear, and your digital campaign should be smart and easy to comprehend. Renaissance Marketing works with your budget and your schedule to maximize your investment in branding and marketing. Our industry experience has helped us to evolve into a transparent and accountable agency that delivers for our clients.