The difference between branding and marketing – and why you need both

“Branding and marketing are the same thing, right?” This is a question we hear often. However, branding is who you are - your DNA - while marketing is how you express that identity - and to whom - aiming to sell your product. They are inseparable but certainly not the same.

Branding: identity

Branding is all about building your company’s identity. It includes:

• Your core values, for example: progressive and customer-focused

• Your mission: removing all plastic from the oceans

• Your vision: a 100% circular economy

• Your visual identity: logo, colors, shapes, and imagery

• Your tone of voice: Are you witty and bold, or modest and professional?

A carefully crafted, distinctive, and authentic identity helps you achieve your business goals more efficiently. With strong branding, you need less marketing budget because there’s less waste - your ideal audience immediately recognizes that you’re the right fit for them.

There are various methods to uncover your brand identity. We prefer using the Brand Key model and Carl Jung’s archetypes.

We recommend involving a representative group of employees in these sessions. This creates engagement and generates positive energy.

Authenticity is key. Your audience will quickly see through it if your brand identity is just window dressing.

Working with an external brand expert to prepare, guide, and challenge you during these sessions ensures you get the most out of the process.

What do you want your customers to feel when they see your brand?

Marketing: communication

Marketing includes everything you do to bring your brand to your target audience: including pricing, promotion and advertising. It starts with a clear understanding of your customers and what drives them. One way to map this out is by using so-called empathy maps, which help create key personas that serve as the foundation for your marketing strategy.

This strategy should define the best channels and relevant key messages to reach your audience effectively - whether through online advertising, social media, or email marketing. Or face-to-face on a trade fair.

However, marketing without branding is like a theater without an audience - you’re speaking, but no one is listening.

It’s a misconception that branding and marketing are mainly for B2C brands. A buyer of industrial machine parts is still a consumer. Instead of distinguishing between B2C and B2B, it’s better to talk about B2Me - because every decision-maker is ultimately a person.

Have you aligned your branding and marketing for maximum impact?