Marketing First vs. Branding First: Which is Better for My Business?

So, Which Should Come First? Branding or Marketing?

First, let us explore the most concise definitions of each concept. Marketing is the actions or activities that a company performs to sell products or services to create an interest for consumers. Branding, on the other hand, is defined as the actions needed to differentiate a company or organization from competitors through the creation of a name, logo, symbol, or other distinct markers. To put this all into perspective: Marketing helps sell your products and services. Branding is what makes an impression on your clients. Both are important to ensure that your company is able not just to survive but to thrive for years to come. We are speaking about these strategies and provide insights into the benefits of these actions needed for long-term success.

Why Marketing Is Important For Your Business

Perhaps one of the most important reasons as to why marketing is critical is to inform your consumers. Your consumers must be able to understand your product/service. If they don’t, you risk losing them to your competitors. Consumers like to be informed about the products they use because they want to understand if your product is going to serve them with a purpose. All products and services have some sort of purpose. It is your responsibility to market your products in an effective manner to show their value.

Marketing equalizes the playing field

Gone are the days in which you had to spend thousands of dollars to get the word out about your product and your brand. Sure, some businesses choose to expand their marketing budget to spend on more traditional forms of marketing, but if you don’t have the necessary funds to do so, there is no need to panic. One of the most effective ways businesses are able to reach audiences cost-effectively is through the power of social media. Whether you are a multi-billion dollar company or mom-and-pop, all organizations can benefit from a digital footprint like social media and email marketing. After carefully analyzing your audience, you can decide which platforms will be better suited to fulfill your organization’s marketing needs.

Keep audiences engaged

Another important component of marketing that will benefit your business is creating strategies that will keep your customers engaged at all times(movingtargets.com article). It’s just not enough to provide prices and descriptions about your products or services. You have to keep your customers engaged by creating targeted content on platforms that will best serve the needs of your business. You can also keep your target audience engaged by creating infographics, informative short videos, surveys, quizzes, engaging writings, and other forms of content. Engagement strategies will ensure that the relationship you have with your target audience creates a lasting, positive effect on your company.

Reach new customers

Lastly, marketing is essential for your business to draw customers to your product or service. Think about it this way: You know what your company stands for. You have your company’s logo, website, and have the desired message you want to deliver to your target audience. How is your audience going to know about your company? How will they know that your products and services will create positive changes in their everyday life?

Deliver the message you want to demonstrate to your audience by creating strategies that will best serve the needs of your business. Depending on the organization, you can use traditional forms of marketing to deliver information such as flyers, billboards, radio ads, print advertisements, or more modern techniques such as social media marketing. The choice is yours to make.

Why Branding Is Important For Your Business

We discussed some of the benefits that marketing can provide for your business. Let’s now talk about the power of branding and how it can create a powerful impact on your organization.

First, branding improves recognition

How so? A logo is a necessary component of your business that is one of the first details that customers remember about your brand. Your logo serves as the most important visual element that provides an image of your business. Think of it as the “face” of your company. How important is a logo to a business? When you consider that 94% of the world’s population can recognize the Coca-Cola logo, you have to acknowledge how powerful these designs are. When designing your logo, keep in mind a design that your customers can easily recognize, but make sure your logo reflects your company’s essence and the message you want to deliver to your customers.

Helps drive your marketing efforts

Secondly, branding is necessary for your business because it will eventually drive your marketing and advertising efforts. Whichever channel you will use to distribute your brand, it can create a profound impact on your organization. Flyers, billboards, packaging, and other materials that have your brand’s imprint (such as a logo or any other form of visual or written content) can help your business reach audiences and consequently increase visibility to ensure growth.

Helps attract new customers

Branding is also necessary for your business because it helps you obtain new customers. The most influential brands have a solid customer base. This base has been built over time due to the contributions it made to the lives of its consumers. An evident sign that your branding efforts are yielding positive results is through word-of-mouth referrals. When someone provides your brand with a positive review or recommendation, it will leave a positive impression. A brand has created a significant impact on the consumer in specific ways. That consumer wants to spread the word. They want to tell their friends, family, and other loved ones about the impact your brand has made into their lives, no matter how big or small. A referral is the stamp of approval your business obtains from your target audience, which is a critical element to your brand’s continued success.

Branding helps build trust

Branding is vital to your business because it builds the trust your brand needs for its long-term success. Prospective customers want to ensure your business is legitimate in various ways. Is your company website user-friendly? Does it have security measures such as an SSL certificate or HTTPS? Are you demonstrating your credibility as a business through professional certifications and informative content on all mediums? Is your brand following design guidelines by having cohesive written and visual content? Having a brand that works towards having a professional appearance will successfully build trust between prospects and your customer base.

Why Branding First?

Well, Branding is everything. Dana Hewling, Creative Director and Branding Specialist at b.iD LLC, provides us with a remarkable perspective on the meaning of branding. From our founder’s perspective, branding is defined as an individual, company, or organization’s heart represented visually. This essentially means that branding is everything. Branding plays a vital role in how an entity will thrive in their respective markets. Many signs can tell anyone in charge of their marketing efforts that their brand has an influential position among competitors. The most important component that indicates brand success is the emotional connection it has with consumers. Emotion is vital.

How vital do you ask? Well, research shows that 64% of women and 68% of men have an emotional connection with a brand. Having formidable relationships with your customer base ensures that loyalty and trust will be created and maintained. Branding tells us what your business stands for. Branding provides an identity, a differentiator among the rest. Branding tells us all of the positive aspects of your business and how they will be able to create a lasting impact on your everyday life. Marketing is essentially the vehicle that will deliver your organization’s message, i.e., your brand.

Lastly, a good brand will be remembered, and it will always be. It takes 5 to 7 impressions for audiences to remember your brand. Spread the word, use the tools of marketing to help your brand transcend. Let your target audiences know why they should remember you among other brands within your market. When you find that powerful distinction, you will be able to help your audience understand what your organization represents and what it stands for. This will help your organization be on its way to become a successful business for years to come.

Your brand is your organization’s lifeforce.

The right strategies can help your organization become a major influence and competitor in your market. The wrong ones can lead your organization into disarray. B.ID will enforce strong, cohesive branding strategies or reinforce them to ensure your brand creates the impact you want to see and build strong relationships that will create a path for consistent growth and influence. Give us a call. Let us provide you with a helping hand.