When you’re building a business there are two main things that always get mentioned when determining your success – marketing and branding. But what’s the difference between the two?

In short, marketing is a set of tools and strategies that you can use to promote your products, services, and company as a whole. It’s the process of getting your audience to take action.

Branding, on the other hand, is the shaping of your company’s identity and defining who you are. It projects your values and mission in a unique way that sets you apart from your competitors.

Despite your industry, competition is always high so it is super important to make waves in the market to get your customer’s attention – so marketing is vital.

Right, great stuff, you’ve got their attention, but what do you need to do to maintain it? That our friends are where branding makes its grand entrance.

Which came first? Marketing or branding?

Branding comes first, marketing comes second – although many businesses do it the other way around. No, No! The reason being that you simply cannot market a company that has no identity.

Before even beginning to create a marketing strategy, your focus needs to be on branding. Who are you? What do you bring to the table? What are your core values?

Once you have answered and executed those questions, only then should you proceed to market your brand. Once branding is put in place, you as a company will also have a better understanding of who you are and who your target audience is – making your marketing efforts more precise and in turn more successful. Your marketing needs to marry your brand and bring it to life to essentially increase your bottom line.

Marketing Gains Attention. Branding Maintains Attention

People will choose brands to do business with based on whether they believe in them and feel a connection with the brand itself. So, while marketing will help you get to the right people and break through all of the noise if you want to keep your business up there in the mind of your audience, then your branding needs to be in a position that people can connect with your business.

In sum, you need a precise marketing strategy to differentiate your brand from its competition and let your customers know “We are here” – but you need the branding to create a long-term relationship, a loyal connection, and keep the audience coming back after you’ve stated that you exist.

Marketing strategies repeatedly start and end – but branding is forever

Marketing strategies come and go in the sense that there is always a final goal, therefore a strategy has a beginning, a middle and an end.

Branding on the other hand is everlasting. It will always be there to define who you are as a company and connect with your audience to build a lifetime relationship. As your company evolves, your branding needs to evolve with it.

Driving sales & Driving recognition and loyalty

In essence, your marketing is meant to drive results, whether it be through SEO, content, or advertising; its purpose is to convert a lead. And of course, you need to drive sales to have a successful company – but branding takes a more long-term approach.

Branding builds trust, recognition, and loyalty which is just as important as driving sales as it maintains those sales in the long run.

Marketing gets people engaged, branding keeps them coming back. Both have different goals and different results, but both need to have a defined strategy.

If you want to perfectly marry your branding and marketing to see incredible results, our award-winning team at Awove is here to do just that!