Knowing the Difference Between Marketing and Branding

August 19, 2021

Marketing and branding are two words business owners hear a lot, whether it’s a small, local business or a large, multi-national corporation. If you’re a business owner, knowing the difference between these two will help you set goals as well as strategize and develop the tactics to push your company forward. It can also help your employees as they become ambassadors for your company.

When you’re ready to add professional marketing tools to your business, or to develop your company’s brand strategy, Frankel is the best digital marketing agency in Gainesville, Florida. Our team can help you with a variety of needs to turn your goals into reality. Read on to discover the differences between marketing and branding, and contact us when you want to take the next step in business growth.

MARKETING VS. BRANDING

There are two ways to layout the differences between marketing and branding: the simple definition and the more in-depth explanation. Simply put, branding defines your company while marketing is a group of tactics that can be used to promote your business, product or service.

Though they are different, the two do go hand in hand and many clients often ask which comes first. Before you can market your company to an audience, you’ve got to develop a brand strategy to define various aspects of your company. Because of this, branding should be the first thing you consider. However, it is possible to change or alter your brand identity in the future, though this will often require a change in marketing tactics, too.

BRANDING

Your company’s brand strategy defines the business, so there are several questions to ask yourself when creating a brand. Who is your audience(s)? How will you speak to or with them? What is your voice? What is your company name, and what does it mean? What is the company tagline? You will also need to create a logo, a visual style that can cross platforms (think websites, different social media platforms, other forms of advertising, etc.), colors, fonts, and more. You will also need to know your competitors and how your business sets itself apart from them. Reputation is also a key part of your brand strategy, especially as more and more customers look to online reviews before deciding to patronize a business.

MARKETING

Marketing encompasses all of the tools at your disposal to present your business to the world and build interest among audiences. Not every tool out there is necessary for every business, so defining your brand will go a long way here. Things like leads, sales, and search engine optimization (also known as SEO, which optimizes your online presence) will benefit a wide range of businesses, but tools like promotions, offers, and media need more attention, as well as the different types of advertising. For this last one, think about advertising on social media vs. advertising in other ways, such as print, digital, television, and more.

BUSINESSES, PRODUCTS & SERVICES

BUSINESS

If you have a new business, you’ll want to define your overall brand strategy as well as a work with a marketing agency like Frankel to develop a marketing strategy that’s perfect for presenting your business to your audiences. You may already have an idea of how you want to market or brand your business, but you may need some assistance with, say, digital advertising, media buys or SEO. Whatever your needs here, a marketing agency can help, whether with a la carte items or entire plans.

PRODUCT

Stand-alone products also have branding and marketing needs, whether it’s a new product under an existing business or maybe you just created a product and need a way to get it out in the world. Whatever the case, the basics still hold true — the product will need a defined brand identity as well as an individualized tactical marketing plan.

Food for thought: Consider your favorite products. What brand creates these products? Why do you use them? What other products are available from the same brand name that you don’t use that may be better suited for a different audience or user?

SERVICE

Though different from products, services have the same needs as far as branding and marketing tools. The difference with services is that they are often tied to an overall business, whether a range of services are offered or just one type of service is available. You’ll need to have a brand strategy for your overall business and, potentially, slightly different plans for marketing each of the different services offered.

The right marketing agency can make a huge impact on your bottom line, whether you’re branding your business or need marketing help with a business, product or service. Frankel has experts in each of these areas to get you from where you are to where you want to be, working with everything from website design and social media marketing to SEO, remarketing, lead generation, email marketing, event development, public relations, graphic design and everything related to content, including video and photos, blog writing, and more. If this sounds like what you need, connect with us today. Let’s make big things happen.


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