Marketing vs. Branding: the difference between push and pull activity.

When you're at the helm of a growing business, wearing many hats, you'll often be submerged in a sea of industry terminology. At best, this can feel a bit sterile; at worst, they can blur into a perplexing jumble. Among these, two concepts frequently lock horns, causing confusion - marketing and branding. The question arises: What truly sets marketing apart from branding? Well, that's what we hope to cover in everyday Joe (or Julie) language.

The truth is you could park a double-decker bus sideways between marketing and branding. If steering your business towards success is the goal, grasping the distinctions between them will be pretty handy.

So, let's deconstruct the essence of branding and marketing. But, before plunging in feet-first, it's prudent to grasp the core nature of these disciplines. 

Marketing is a broad collection of activities, tools, strategies, and processes that actively place your products, services, and company into public consideration. Think about marketing as a choir; all members sing the same song but individually contribute something different. The combined output is an experience you will probably leave you feel pretty moved.

On the flip side, branding is more like a set of psychological activities focused on identifying, building and maintaining a personality. 

The quintessential components of a brand include values, mission, brand mark and/or logo, colours, website and communication style. 

So, if marketing is the catalyst that draws customers in and introduces them to your product or offer, branding is a gravitational field that will keep drawing people back out of affection, trust or curiosity.   

Now that we've explained the essential differences we can move on with the a more detailed breakdown.

While brands require ongoing maintenance and some periodical change, they live and breath. They are and experience, memory or perception in the eye of the consumer. 

Marketing is typically only effective when it's turned on. If there's a gap in promotion, a weakness in the offer or if it fails to find an audience, marketing is simply theory. 

Branding is pull. Marketing is push.

Marketing is the act of communication. Branding is the art of knowing how to say it.

Both are critical to business success. Both work better together. 

Marketing grabs attention. Brand holds it.

Marketing fuels sales, whereas branding establishes recognition and loyalty. 

Chronologically, branding emerges ahead of marketing and not the other way around. 

Marketing ebbs and flows. Branding is consistent.

Regardless of your industry, the probability is high that you exist in an environment with heavy competition; lots of businesses offer similar things.

To gain visibility and be in the mix for business, embracing marketing is a non-negotiable imperative. Yet, once the spotlight or introduction is made, there emerges a necessity to sustain that attention (brand).

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