Advertising versus Branding

You know an ad when you see one. Either it's in a magazine, or on a bus stop, or above the article you're trying to read online or on a t-shirt, or interrupting your favorite television show. The message is there to remind you that a certain business exists, and that it may have a product or service that you want to buy or use. It's a stake in the ground that shows who you are and what you do.

But it's just that. A single stake that shows one aspect of your company.

Branding is different. A lot of people see the word 'brand' and think either of what happens to cattle or of a particular type of soda. Branding is more inherent to your business than you probably realize. An ad will tell your customer what you're selling, your brand tells the customer who you are.

Think about a friend of yours. You know, when thinking about this friend, how they're going to act, what their going to do in given situations and what you can expect from them over the course of your friendship. Some of your friends you'd feel perfectly comfortable asking delicate favors of, others would cause larger problems.

If the personality and character of your friend helps you make decisions about what you do and don't do with them, then the brand of your business helps your potential customers make decisions about whether or not to do business with you.

Brand strategy is the simple idea of defining how you want your customers to view your company and then aligning your business to that definition.

Advertising stems from branding. Once you know who you are, you can start talking to people about what you do. By understanding your company's character and personality, you can more clearly explain to your customers why they should decide to do business with you.

Each ad you place needs to not only place that stake in the ground explaining your business proposition, it also needs to evoke and build your brand. That way, the money you spend on your ad not only helps that sales cycle, but also helps create ongoing relationships with your customers.