The Difference Between Marketing and Branding

And why one cannot survive without the other

For some people, marketing and branding is close to the same thing. There is some truth to this if your marketing is influenced by sound branding, but this is rarely the case. More often than not, marketing is developed without the use of consumer insight resulting in a one-sided conversation. Before we get to that, though, let’s break things down a bit further.

To begin with, what is marketing?

mar·ket·ing – noun – the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.

As consumers, we are inundated with this definition of marketing, whether it’s in the form of TV, radio, outdoor, print, or online. It’s everywhere. Because of that, we often tend to tune most of it out, unless of course it crosses our radar at the exact moment we may be in need of that particular product or service. More often than not, most of it ends up just being noise.

While branding incorporates many of the same delivery channels that marketing also employs, branding goes much deeper by providing an opportunity to form an emotional connection that will resonate for an extended time.

These emotional connections are at the core of all branding initiatives and should be at the core of all marketing decisions as well. Without them, we run the risk of our marketing efforts turning into white noise. As I mentioned earlier, a one sided conversation will turn into something that could leave your audience ignoring your message all together.

At RUSSO, we talk a lot about the conversation surrounding a brand, and more importantly, changing that conversation. This all begins with messaging that is driven by consumer insight. When you are able to accomplish this, you are able to tell your story in a way that connects with those who need to hear it most.

Sure, any marketing is better than none at all. But to just throw something out there with no thought on how it will be received will often leave you frustrated with the results.

Remember, your product or service is something you are not only passionate about, but confident in how they will benefit those they were intended for. Your marketing should incorporate that story allowing your consumers to connect with you on an emotional level. That emotion comes from a conversation between you and your consumer that establishes trust over time.

In the end, the differences between marketing and branding can be debated, but we believe that one without the other can lead to an eventual disconnect with your consumer. Instead, make sure that you have spent time developing your brand, listening to your consumer, adhering to your brand promise, and incorporating your brand message into your marketing.

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