On Spotlight: Branding or Ads?

"Ads can bring you sales, but Branding makes lifetime impressions" ~ Cazey Tan

Why does Coca-Cola makes you think of a cold fizzy drink?

Or why mobile phone companies, such as Apple, Samsung or Realme able to keep their customers from buying other phones?

Don't they also advertise on TV screens, billboards, social media and other platforms?

Think of a hot day, think Coca-Co-la

Imagine, on a hot sunny day, you're getting.... thirsty.

As you walk by a shop, you saw a can of coke in a fridge. Your mind automatically sets on buying that can of coke to combat your dehydration.

So, is that act of buying that coke comes from purely ads or branding?

If it's just ads alone, I believe Coca-Cola would've run out of budget and would need to reduce their production of coke.

However, if it's just branding alone, you're going to be skeptical. Should I try it or should I not?

That begs the question. Branding or Ads or both?

That Lifestyle Gadget (Your Phone)

A massive majority of 70% users buy their phones based on their lifestyle and their belief in the brand.

Take for example, the latest iPhone 15 tagline, "Newphoria".

It rhymes with Euphoria which translates to intense feeling of happiness and wellbeing. Having a new iPhone 15 brings in an unspoken amount of happiness and joy as compared to those who didn't have it.

Another smart phone company, Realme, just announced their latest Realme 12 Pro series lineup and their tagline is "Make it real".

It is synonymous with our lifestyle and our daily motivations and wants, which is to "Make it real".

In both of these cases, both brands utilizes a very good strategy.

They only focus to create content based on branding, enticing some suspense and make the audience wanting for more.

And they run certain teaser ads to reach out to even more audience so that they too can be connected with their tagline, which could be resonated with audience's lifestyle.

Branding + Ads

Is it effective?

In fact, from all the statistical data gathered, Apple leads the smartphone market with 29.64% market share.

While in SEA, Realme, an emerging smartphone challenger, acquired 11% market share and was in top 6 mobile brand globally.

All of these stats shows something.

Branding + Ads are effective.

The more people relate to your brand, the more people will buy your products/services.

What's next for businesses in Malaysia?

The strategy is simple.

Throw away your 1001 marketing theories. Execute more. Focus more on how to brand your business.

In fact, up to 30-50% of your marketing budget should be spent to properly brand your business online and offline.

Your upside for this?

When you run ads to focus on conversion, people will always start to buy from you, whether it is a product/service.

Ads alone can only get you not too far, but branding leaves a lasting impression on people's mind.

Your audience will only purchase once they made up their mind.

Don't believe me?

Try it out and thank me later.

~ Cazey Tan