Do you really understand the difference between marketing and branding?

Marketing and branding — are the words interchangeable or is there a difference?

There are several schools of thought on the difference between marketing and branding, but at XDesigns, we subscribe to the philosophy that marketing is enthusiastically pushing a product or service. It’s a strategy used to promote your business or service by getting your name out in the public arena and a way to generate sales. For example; using celebrity endorsements, customer testimonials, printing brochures, signage, billboards, product catalogues.

Branding is more about the personality of your company. It’s about what your company stands for, the traits and principles your company upholds. A brand draws customers because of what it stands for. For example; The Sony brand is synonymous with trusted technology and quality. Whether you’re looking for a High definition TV or a camcorder you can be assured if you purchase a Sony, it will be a quality product. You know what to expect. Or Levis, it doesn’t matter where in the world you purchase the jeans from, if they’re Levis as a customer you associate the name with quality.

Branding is what you remember about a product or service, even after you’ve forgotten about the advertising campaign that caught your interest. It decides whether you become faithful to that brand. It is the marketing that may persuade you that you can no longer live without having a 3D Smart TV, but it’s the brand that determines whether you rave about it to your friends and refuse to buy anything other than Sony for the rest of your life.

You build your brand through reputation and whether the product lived up to the promises it made. Did it fulfil its purpose? Has it been reliable? Did the customer think it was worth the money they paid for it.

Of course we don’t expect you to be an expert in marketing or branding, you’re probably far too busy with the day to day running of your business which is why you need XDesigns Advertising. Give us a call today so we can give your business a branding health check, make sure you’re on track with your marketing and help you in the areas you may need assistance in.