Branding vs. Marketing – Common Misconceptions

In our last article we looked at understanding the difference between Branding and Marketing. Now we will look at some common misconceptions that marketers have about the two:

Common Misconceptions about Branding and Marketing:

Business and market professionals themselves often mix the two. We demystify the following misconceptions:

1. Branding means any marketing or promotional initiative

Branding involves establishing a brand’s personality, voice, and message. Marketing, on the other hand, simply communicates the brand’s message across all channels.

2. Branding is in control of the brand itself

Although a brand is in control of setting the tone, guidelines that it follows, it still doesn’t make the owner the brand authority. That is because once the business is out there, it is the consumer that defines a brand. It is imperative for a brand to clearly define its values because it is the perception that stays with the brand’s audience.

3. There is one sure-shot way for a successful branding

Although marketing initiatives can be measured using certain tools, there is no way to know a secret formula for successful branding. So much so, two similar organisations, in the same industry can also be unique in their ways. So, while branding is about customizing the personality and message to the needs of your business, you can measure the success of your branding. Observing the behaviour of your target audience will tell you how successful your brand is.

Before a company develops a marketing strategy, it needs to establish a strong brand. To do so, it needs to:

  • Define a purpose – The first step to defining a brand is to find the core of a business, by finding out the “why” of what you do. Although the answers may not come straight away, asking questions like the following can help:
    • Why was this business built?
    • What is the purpose of helping out the defined target audience?
    • Why is this business important to me?
  • Establish a personality and voice – asking the following questions will help in making a brand successful:
    • What kind of voice will the brand have?
    • How should the brand be perceived? Corporate/casual/funny/etc
    • How can the brand stay true to this identity throughout its life? – this is specifically important because a brand staying consistent with its personality allows it to attract loyal customers.
  • Deciding the values of the brand – getting this point right helps a brand in answering the question “Who am I?”. Doing so not only makes the brand consistent but also gives it a direction for all its operations.
  • Define the brand culture – happy employees will not only make them productive and passionate but also reflect in everything that the brand does. As a result, it will also attract more customers.
  • Communicating the brand to the target audience – having defined all of the above, is the time to communicate and raise awareness about the brand. However, a marketing strategy also requires research and analysis to decide communication channels to effectively reach the audience. The key elements that a marketing strategy must include/communicate are:
    • Company’s mission statement that can be understood from the purpose of the
    • Benefits to the customers from using the products, the answer to which can be found at the time of defining the brand’s purpose.
    • Choice of platforms and media to reach consumers.
    • Call to action which motivates the audience to take action.

Looking to grow your business? Connect with the experts at Ideaspice, a leading branding agency in Dubai. You can write to them by clicking here or dropping an email at sajith@ideaspice.com  Alternatively, you can also give them a call on +971 4 354 2920.