Is Branding Different from Marketing

Aren’t branding and marketing all the same? Isn’t marketing the foremost responsibility of a branding agency? Well, it might come as a bit of a shocker but branding is not perfectly synonymous with the conception of marketing. It is true to state that both marketing and branding hold their loyalty towards the said brand. They are both utilized to elevate the standing and status of the brand. However, two processes or notions can’t be equated and declared as interchangeable just because they revolve around the same subject. But what exactly is the difference between the two? 

 

To put it in simple terms, branding is all about defining and constructing a brand. Marketing on the other hand is a systematic process of publicizing that brand. So, a branding company is concerned with stitching a brand strategy, formulating the brand personality, and constructing an identity design. This slightly accentuates the line of difference between the two concepts. 

 

Marketing Grabs the Attention, Branding Retains it

 

That’s the first line of contrast between branding and marketing. Marketing experts are the progenitor of plans that help the brand gain prominence and fame. They help the brand catch the interest of the audience through campaigns and advertising. The marketing arm holds the responsibility to popularize the brand in the market. A branding agency, on the other hand, is involved with keeping the attention of the customers gravitated towards the brand. The grand idea is to orient the image of the brand in a style that soothes the tastes and preferences of the target audience. The central aim of branding is to enhance the overall image of the brand. Every tactic, method, or process employed by branding specialists is to further the eminence of the brand. 

 

Branding is a Continuous Process

 

Branding is a perpetual process and so are the responsibilities of a branding company. While marketing can be pronounced as an initiative opted during certain intervals, the act of branding is continuous. Branding is about polishing a brand to perfection. The preferences of the target demographic, the trends in the market, the stance of the competition are not stagnant and are bound to change. A brand that hasn’t adapted according to the changing wind can suffer severe setbacks. So, it all comes to the humble shoulders of branding experts to keep the brand ready and relevant in shifting scenarios. Nevertheless, the territory of branding is not restricted to mere adaptation. Marking a new trend in the industry is also a function of branding. 

 

First, it is Branding and then Marketing

 

You see, that’s the desired chronological order. It would be fair to say that a branding agency has to arrive a little early to the scene than their marketing cousins. The logic here is pretty simple - you can’t market a brand that isn’t really there. Branding is the fundamental act of designing a brand. From exploring a brand’s philosophy to nurturing its core design, everything is tailored by the word called branding. What brand wishes to be? What kind of audience will it entertain? How will the brand communicate with its target audience? Answering all these relevant questions is the task of branding. After the brand has been fully realized, then the marketing process enters the scene. 

 

Difference in Objective

 

As surprising as it may be, a branding agency does not answer the responsibility of driving the sales numbers. That falls under the column of marketing region. Branding is more about earning the loyalty and recognition of the customers. It’s about making the brand while the selling part is for the marketing to handle. As we have stated earlier, the process is more inclined, or say, completely inclined towards nourishing the image of the brand. Branding is something that sets a well-defined path for marketing to run on. It is branding that enables the brand to forge a strong connection with the audience and win their trust. Marketing is all about inflating the sales numbers through the means of strong and stimulating promotions.

 

Conclusion

 

So, turns out branding and marketing are very different after all. We also shattered the myth that a branding company is a practitioner of marketing tactics. Marketing and branding are both about helping the brand grow and prosper and that’s probably the only thing they share in common. These two conceptions do complement each other and we don’t disregard that fact. But to regard them as the same process with a different name won’t exactly be correct.      

Source: https://www.brandprovoke.com/