So, if you haven’t yet heard, let me be the first to tell you that branding and marketing are (2) two completely different beasts. Sure, you can argue that one can’t really be done without the other. That’s not what I mean. I’m simply making the point that just because you are great at one, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are good at the other!

Yea, OK… I’m sure I’ll get a bunch of sh*t from self-proclaimed local marketing experts working out of the local Starbucks and rightfully so! If I was in their position, I’d do the same. I’m really just sick and tired of all the misconstrued theology around this conversation.  Truthfully, I have never been one to run from a good fight. So here it goes!

Branding is Based on Strategy while Marketing is Dependent on Tasks

So, what does branding involve? It’s very simple. Branding involves passion & love! Branding involves curating all your executives, employees and customer voices into one true spirit. Branding is the way the employees talk, how they walk, and most importantly how they feel when they get up in the morning. Branding measures your customer’s emotion and gauges true interest, not conversion percentages or return-on-investment reports.

It disgusts me when smart business people talk about branding but have no clue on what it really takes to create one. If this is you, please read this and save yourself the f***ing heartache when discussing strategies at local coffee shops and conferences. Get it right!

Marketing is Systematic and Process Orientated

What is marketing, and what does that mean? Simply put, marketing is very tactical. Sale processes and marketing tactics generally go hand in hand with one another. So if you are not using sales acquisition metrics or a process to define and measure your marketing effectiveness, you probably are wasting a lot of time and money.

Marketing is measured in stages and carried out by a series of tasks, while branding is simply a lifestyle. Branding relies more on relationships and interpersonal feelings. Like a plant that you grow and nurture from a seed. Marketing can simply be defined by a series of mediums, goals, and sale processes based on the industry and the information your customer wants to obtain. Don’t believe me? Just wait and see…

Branding and Marketing are both Investments, not Expenses

No matter how you put it, you need to invest in both to be successful. If you don’t have a strategic purpose for both your branding and marketing, you will fail. I’m just saying that you can’t have one without the other. So many professionals confuse branding with marketing and are essentially diluting their effectiveness.

So many times companies “external perception” doesn’t match their true “internal perception” and executives wonder why the sales and company morale suck. Have you ever worked at a place like this? Honestly, both branding and marketing take a huge investment, and can really affect the lifetime of a company’s long-term success. So moving forward, please make sure to stay true to your brand and carry it over to your marketing efforts. Rock-on marketing and branding stars. Until the next post. Stay grinding!

Lake Nona Social
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