Branding vs. Marketing: Is there a difference?
Branding and marketing are different but many times the terms are confused or used synonymously. Depending on who you ask, you are likely to get different answers. A CMO might see it differently than an SEO expert. A social media marketer will likely see them differently than a PR executive.
Regardless of the viewpoint, they each have distinct roles and goals. And, when you break down how they differ it becomes clear how to use each to build out a holistic strategic pipeline.
Let’s break them down:
Branding is who you are as a brand - what you stand for, strive for, value, and seek to change.
Marketing is how you sell it, promote it, monetize it, and get your message out. In the simplest of terms:
Branding is the who and marketing is the how.
What is branding?
Brand marketing is focused on building and maintaining the reputation and image of a brand. It’s the process of creating a unique name, image, and association for a product or service in the consumers' minds. It’s how to build trust with the customer and awareness of the brand.
The goal of branding in the health and wellness industry is to establish a meaningful purpose and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers (that doesn’t look like everyone else). This statement is worth repeating: Branding is how you attract and retain your ideal customers so they stay your customers.
Branding is not your logo, values, mission, visual identity, story, or positioning.
Branding is how you shape the perceptions of your brand in the marketplace so that they resonate deeply with your ideal customer.
It involves developing a set of associations that a company wants to be known for, such as trustworthiness, high quality, innovation, or customer service. The health and wellness industry focuses on developing value-based associations that customers can connect and relate to.
The branding process includes a variety of components that need to be solidified before moving into marketing strategy planning.
Here are some that come into play when looking specifically at branding for a health and wellness company:
Brand messaging and positioning
Brand mission and values
Brand purpose and impact
Brand value proposition and unique selling points
Brand story/narrative or storytelling design
Brand tone, voice, and personality
Visual identity: Colors, font, and visual direction
Ideal customer profiles
A strong brand marketing strategy can help a company stand out in a crowded market and build loyalty among its customers.
What is marketing?
Marketing, on the other hand, is the process of promoting and selling products or services. It involves tactics to monetize the business and build engagement for the brand.
Ultimately, marketing is the tactic used to influence your ideal customer to buy.
Marketing is focused on driving sales. There are many avenues or channels marketing can use to drive sales: content, social media campaigns, events, digital advertising, direct mail, and public relations. These components are organized in a marketing strategy.
Marketing strategy is the blueprint for the brand. Marketing strategies are looking for a sale to be made. Its entire purpose is to yield a transaction.
What comes first: branding or marketing?
Branding is at the core of your marketing strategy, so brand development must come first.
Even if you are a startup or a solo entrepreneur, it’s crucial to define who you are as a brand before you begin marketing strategy, planning, and tactics.
Marketing and branding are equally important, but they are not the same. Each has its own goals for growing awareness, engagement, and the bottom line. You cannot multiply a business without both.
Starting marketing without the core brand foundation will waste your time and dollars. If you want your health and wellness business to succeed in the increasingly crowded landscape, you need to develop a solid branding foundation.
We guide dozens of brands through branding development. We can help you. Book a discovery call to explore.
