In our work with all kinds of organizations pursuing a variety of business objectives, we sometimes see leaders struggling to understand the complexities of promoting their brands. Unfortunately, so-called “experts” in marketing and branding can add to the noise, rather than providing clarity and guidance.
To get some perspective, let’s consider three key functions in branding: Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations (PR).
Marketing is essentially the process of bringing buyers and sellers together. Think of marketing as leading prospects along a timeline — from awareness to trial to purchase — and then maintaining those relationships even after the sale. As the name suggests, marketing involves identifying, analyzing, understanding, and engaging your audience in a given marketplace. Many established marketing organizations leverage insights from customer research to inform their tactical planning. From there, marketers have a wide range of communication channels at their disposal, including social media, web content, print, sales support, events, and paid advertising.
Any communication aimed at engaging a specific audience with the intent to inform, persuade, or otherwise facilitate a purchase can be considered advertising. Advertisers pay for access to consumers’ eyes and ears — whether they cast a wide net, or target a specific niche buyer. Media outlets offer user data to help advertisers choose the most cost-effective channels, from print and broadcast to outdoor, digital, and point of sale.
Every organization — whether B2B, B2C, or non-profit — has a relationship with the general public. Some are actively involved in their local communities, while others command a global presence. Public relations (PR) is the business of managing those relationships. The purpose of PR is to build and nurture the organization’s reputation. It involves setting expectations, proactive communication, and crisis management. PR can even be used to establish authority and leadership, either through actively promoting knowledge and expertise, or through “earned media” in the form of third-party validation and endorsements.
Remember that marketing, advertising, and PR are integral — seek balance and harmony to drive maximum benefit. While the tools and tactics can overlap among disciplines, you can avoid confusion by focusing on the intent. What do you want to achieve through your branding activities? Take a holistic view, keep your vision and objectives clear, and then let strategy drive decisions about execution.
If the idea of branding seems fuzzy or overwhelming, give us a shout. Chances are we’ve helped companies just like yours get clarity, get organized, and get results.