Branding vs. Marketing: How are they Different?

One of the biggest mistakes that I’ve seen business owners and entrepreneurs make in my 15 years in the marketing industry is that there is SO much confusion about how to define very basic business terms and having a clear understanding as to how they function and work together. Marketing and branding are very different yet, for any business to thrive, they need to work together cohesively and harmoniously.  Here are a few important ways that marketing and branding are different. 

What is branding?

Branding is the expression of the essential truth or value of an organization, product, or service. It is the communication of characteristics, values, and attributes that clarify what this particular brand is and is not.

What is marketing?

By definition by the American Marketing Association, marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. It is the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.

Marketing vs. Branding: roles in business

While these two facets must work harmoniously together to ensure the branding ecosystem is alive and well, they have different roles in the overall strategy. 

Branding makes loyal customers, advocates, even evangelists, out of those who buy. Your brand does not explicitly say “buy me.” Instead, it says “This is what I am. This is why I exist. If you agree, if you like me, you can buy me, support me, and recommend me to your friends.

Marketing unearths and activates prospective buyers. It essentially serves the role of lead generation and makes potential buyers or customers aware of the company and its products and services.

Can marketing and branding function independently? 

The quick answer is no. It all starts with the brand. The hard truth is that no amount of marketing dollars you invest can save a continuously misguided brand. For example, if you keep getting constant complaints about the online checkout process or you have a problem employee who’s just flat-out rude to everyone, that’s going to have a negative impact on the brand experience pillar of your branding ecosystem. You need to fix the deficiencies in your brand first!

Essentially, marketing and branding each have their own roles and responsibilities but must work together cohesively to create a fine-tuned business machine. Think of branding and marketing in baseball terms  – branding is the manager making sure every aspect of the team is working together. Marketing is the heavy-hitter (think Hank Aaron or Babe Ruth) tasked with racking up as many runs as possible.

Hopefully, these explanations helped clarify a few misconceptions and any confusion you had about the differences between marketing and branding.

Were there any takeaways that surprised you? Leave them in the comments!