People often confuse Branding with Marketing, and it is important to know which you’re engaging in. They work with each other to support your business.

Branding:

Think of Branding as the foundation of your business. The essence. 

Branding should take your vision for your business and create tools & tactics for you to express that in. It is the look and feel of your business through the use of strategic design.

It should help you stand out from the crowd and paint a clear picture of who you are, what you do, & if done well, your “why”.

The brand is a thread that comes from you and influences all aspects of your business. It connects everything but is fluid in the way it is expressed. When developing your brand you want to think about the experience you want to build for your ideal client/customer. As you start making content and design decisions, your design team or branding vendor would take that into account as they create any visuals or online spaces.

Marketing:

Marketing behaves as an expression of your brand, narrowed down to generate interest to a specific target market, and draw them into the experience you’ve built into your brand. It is specific and strategic forms of communication meant to drive a particular audience to your business/brand. Think of marketing like hook & bait whereas the brand is the line and reel.

Tying it Together:

When creating a strategic marketing plan, your branding should influence the communication style and visual decisions. The addition of marketing techniques should use market research, analytics, and promotional campaigns to influence the messaging, design, and targeting decisions. Both of these areas need to work together to bring the audience in and keep them interested. 

The Brand’s Team (everyone working under the brand) must be trained to effectively communicate the message of the brand.

The Brand’s Ambassadors (clients, vendors, partners, allies, and anyone else on the “outside”) need to be taught and conditioned on how to speak about the brand.

This is achieved through clear communication of the message of the brand, visuals that reinforce the key design points within the brand and paired with targeted and effective marketing.

By defining the voice, aligning the vision, setting clear and measurable goals, clarifying the values of your brand, and

pairing it with a design made with your brand’s strategy in mind, you will be creating the foundational steps of building

a brand.

With a fully aligned brand that communicates effectively to your target audience, you will position your company for longevity.