A beginners guide to understanding the difference between branding, advertising and marketing.

Introduction: The Importance of Naming Your Business as a Professional

A brand is a visual representation of a person or company's values, beliefs, and personality. It is what people think of when they hear your name. A company or person's brand identity is made up of its logo, colours, slogans, and other elements that are used to make a connection with its customers.

Naming your business as a professional is one of the most important steps in branding your company. It can help you stand out from competitors and improve your marketing efforts later on.

Branding encompasses all the aspects that make up a company’s personality and image: it ranges from logos to slogans to packaging design. Branding can be done through advertising or marketing but it can also be done through good customer service or content creation.

What is Branding? The Basics of What it Does & Why it Matters

Branding is the process of creating a name, symbol, or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products. It's not just a logo- it's the overall image and message of the company.

A brand name is the name of a company, product, or service. The goal of branding is to create an emotional connection with customers so they will continue to buy your product.

Marketing Vs Advertising Vs Branding - What's The Difference?

Marketing: Marketing is the process of promoting a product or service to customers. It is the set of activities that are carried out to create, communicate and deliver value for the customer.

Advertising: Advertising is a form of marketing communication that uses paid, non-personal messages to convey information about products, services, and ideas.

Branding: Branding is how a company establishes an identity with its customers through various means including advertising, marketing, and public relations.

Each aspect is an integral part of any business or personal venture. Advertising supports marketing activities, all of which are impossible without a brand identity tied to a product or service.

Here are some quick questions to consider when launching a brand:

1. How do you want to be perceived?
2. What is your mission as a brand?
3. How does this tie into your brand colours?
4. Is your target audience defined?
5. Is it location specific and can your buyers recognise your product genre from the colour? For example, have you noticed that many pharmaceutical companies have a touch of green, blue or white in their logos? (There’s a method to the madness ??)
6. Have you considered your competition?

What is your unique selling proposition and if you don’t have one, please consider “How do you intend to sustainably grow and stay in business”??

The advantages of applying marketing concepts and principles to your business are innumerable. If you have learnt them, try and apply them. Your business will thank you for it. Ciao

Kate