Advertising Alone is not Branding

A brand is an impression of an experience offered by product or service due to the already established perception in their mind, or the perception which is getting printed afresh too.

Every commodity needs to brand itself; but at the same time, all of these brands are meant to sell the commodities, which again need to advertise to sell. 

The Challenge 

Working in Nepal, it has always been challenging to convince local clients, who are predominantly into trading, that advertising alone is not branding. Being predominantly a trading economy for most key brands, there has always been notion to say, “Isn’t both the same?” Most of the clients in the region tend to believe that some form of media presence will actually take care of branding as well, alongside. Having worked in the advertising fraternity for one and a half decades in this part of the world, it has always been a test to convince our counterparts in the client’s side of the business that both these activities are two necessary but slightly different ‘evils’, though with the single objective of further strengthening their business. 

We have always been persuading and making them understand that every commodity needs to brand itself; but at the same time, all of these brands are meant to sell the commodities, which again need to advertise to sell. Two coexist but it’s important to understand the value of each so that they can be used as force multipliers. It’s like a proverb “Chicken vs. Egg” discussion but in most cases, advertising campaign can be made more effective if the brand strategy is documented and put into practice first. 

Advertising Decoded 

Advertising is the collective use of all forms of Above the Line (ATL) and Below the Line (BTL) communication tactics. In advertising, certain vehicles are very popular like television, radio, print, outdoor and lately digital media are also getting more widespread, even in Nepal. The strength of advertising is in its ability to reach sheer numbers, the masses. And in major cases, advertising is “campaign oriented”, and so it generally reflects the shopping/buying cycle of consumers. 

Branding Decoded 

What is a brand? It is the idea people take away or the image and perception people make about the commodity from all communication about it including certain patterns of advertisements done. A brand is an impression of an experience offered by product or service due to the already established perception in their mind, or the perception which is getting printed afresh too. Branding concept started as the term for a company, product or service that can be recognized by the following key ingredients: a unique name, a unique logo or visual identity, and a distinctive value proposition. A brand is used in business to differentiate your own goods or services from others and to help create some form of associations in the minds of consumers which lead to awareness, preference and ultimately purchase. 

The Difference? A Lighter Take 

I always tend to give the same example to all the clients and say; “Advertising is like telling a girl in a discotheque: I’m a cool dude; while branding is to be actually cool and behave accordingly”. Certain talented brand custodians like Nike guys have managed to create an aura using advertising, but at the same time they also create the brand perception through the products, the stores, and a whole lot of user experiences and associations. 

Building a brand requires a holistic approach – everything that the company does: the identity elements, customer service, stationery, website design, the way phones are answered or the customer complaints are handled, and many more, are all a part of establishing the brand. Whoever tries to “build a brand” first, without having these elements in order will have a chaotic and confusing brand story.  Advertising should come thereafter and should reinforce the brand further

An Ongoing Journey 

Another dilemma for most companies in the region is that they forget the fact that branding is an ongoing process. It takes time, effort, commitment and cannot he invented with few flashy advertisements. It is something that everyone at the company has to “live” every day -and it’s not just about slogans, it’s about making sure that all stakeholders feel connected to the larger mission and goals of that organization. The most successful and strong brands in the region are those with clear, authentic and easily communicated stories. 

Parting Shot 

Many times I make it a point to ask the following set of questions to my counterparts from the clients’ side – Do you understand and believe in your brand? Do your employees? Do your customers? And, do you live by what your brand is supposed to stand for? Unless you can answer “YES” to all these questions, mass media advertisement just isn’t going to make much of a difference. First, you need to figure out what your brand stands for. And then only you should start worrying about buying advertisement space in any of the mass media vehicles.