WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "BRANDING" AND "BUSINESS STRATEGY"?
"BRAND MARKETING" AND WEBSITE DESIGN?
HOW MIGHT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS STUFF?
Some perspective, from conversations with clients
to think about this stuff ⬇︎
The fastest answers?
Don't get hung up on these definitions! These are on a "continuum" of thinking, which help you gain insight into working profitably and efficiently. People often use these terms interchangeably, so it can be tricky to define the edges of both.
As long as you're paying attention to key factors that should influence your brand, or your overall strategic direction, you're good.
Our PowerBranding has elements of strategic business planning incorporated… as it should.
Allow us to share some quick (flexible) definitions, and perspective:
Strategy defines the overall business direction — your company's products and services, markets, big-picture actions to develop the business. (Think "chess.")
Branding is how your audiences see your company, based on what you present online and IRL, from logo and tagline to perception of products and services, to customer service and customer experience. (Think Apple.)
Brand Marketing is both developing your relationship with your prospects and clients via your brand identity,… and gain engagement and sales based on that (strategy and) branding. (Think Nike.)
Your Website and Your Brand. Your website is your storefront where people come by to shop. It should be a gateway to your business. It represents your brand… but it's not your brand, unless it's driven by your brand strategy (reflecting and addressing the interests of your prospects and customers… especially through your products and services. (Think "Your Company"!)
Customer Experience is how your prospects and customers perceive and react to all that you do — your brand identity, the emails you send, your website, customer service calls, and everything else. How do they feel about what you do? (Think DisneyWorld.)
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Some Perspective From
Conversations With Clients
If your branding is off-point...your prospects and customers are missing the point of your business!
That branding starts with an a focused articulation of what you do, and how you're different from competitors in the market. Looking strategically at the business and how it operates and presents itself.
It starts with logo and tagline, but that ain't where it ends. Different businesses have different distinctions, but here's an overview.
This strategic focus usually ripples on down through your…
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line of products and services
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your marketing tactics
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details of your messaging content
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social media branding and social media strategy
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all presentations (sales, speaking, executive, investors)
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trade shows
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sales calls
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logistics
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management
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product/service delivery, customer experience
…and beyond. More of these bullet points, or less, in part depending on your business, and it's stage of development.
Getting it right and being consistent is a big deal.
That makes a huge difference to your business. Your branding differentiates you from the competition, and enables you to engage and sell , to do what you do best!
Branding should go beyond producing new website colors and logo, it really should be a game-changing shift of style and substance
We love producing the "obvious" part of branding -- new logo and colors and website design. Could even include a critical name change. But we recommend you back that up on the back-end, to make your business work.
That "back end" — really the essence of your business! — extends across products and services, and the way you offer them. Including all marketing and communications and your customer interactions — social media to customer support.
So while you want your digital marketing and social media marketing to work well, remember that you're bringing prospects and clients back to your business. And you want them to get what they need when they come by.
If you redesign your website, do you redesign your brand?
Not by itself. You don't redesign your brand with a new look only. While a new look can be part of it — and usually is — you want to ensure any redesign creates a new perception that sticks. Not just a transient perception, like a new coat of paint over a rusting fence.
You'll want a fresh new website to be a fresh look at the business, And that really involved taking a fresh lookat your cmpany, products and services.
You'll want to make changes of substances to your offering. That change can be small or significant. Or may be the description needs to really address customer interests in a stronger way. The idea is to create a clear "match" in your customer's mind between what they want… and what you provide.
Brand Strategy starts with Company Name, Logo and Tagline, and extends through Brand Marketing with messaging, user experience, brand marketing/social media
that first impression on your business cards and in business conversations…your target audience should remember your company name when they hit their web browser.
Then beyond website design, your "brand strategy" is not separate from "business strategy." That Business Strategy i ften glossed over, with a focus on "brand."
A brand development program can sometimes "cross over" with enough of strategic thinking to be effective … sometimes the need for overall Business Strategy is more apparent
"Brand Marketing" starts with having a brand identity and content to market!
We'll guide you through the process, and process what you need to make it work.
Where did this strategic brand thinking come from?
No, it's not just marketing babble… and, no, we didn't make this stuff up. This innovative strategic thinking work combines a decade-plus of study with Robert Fritz, Inc.... MarketPower’s award-winning tactics & creativity… and other smart thinking.
As we work together, we’ll think freshly. Our powwows will provide fresh perspective and insight. Leading to big-picture perspective… and the details to caffeinate, engage and sell your best target prospects.
The result will go well beyond what you’ve done before.
Are you up for that?
WE'RE TOO BUSY FOR
"STRATEGIC THINKING"
WE'VE GOT WORK TO DO!
“We don’t have time to examine our own navels.”
We hope you're not running around examining other peoples navels.
But whoever came up with this comment about being too busy and overwhelmed, must have had an issue with process and the value of learning from experience.
George Santayana reminds us…
"Those who don’t learn from history
are doomed to repeat it.”
Strategy, Business and Marketing people need to take the time to collectively review the effectiveness of their strategies and how well they work together to realize (or fail to realize) them.
Ask Yourself: Do I really want to chase my tail… keep on correcting recurring issues… not taking a stand for setting up the business so everyone can do their best work?
• • • • • • • • • •
Successful execution of Marketing strategy is reinforced by healthy management approaches, processes, and systems
When is the last time your organization underwent a system health check?
Did your bring aboard an objective professional to assist in the diagnostic process, or did you do a self-examination? How did that work out?
Did you make substantive changes or did you file the learning away to be acted upon some day?
Were you hoping to take advantage of the deal at your neighborhood bar, that offers "Free Beer Tomorrow!"
CEOs and CFOs quite fairly ask...
"Does branding have a business case behind it?"
Let's energize your business!
Atlanta Brand Consultant
Answers A Fair Question:
WHAT'S THE
REAL VALUE
OF BRANDING?
“The intangible element of the combined market capitalization of the S&P 500 has increased to around 80%, compared with some 30% twenty years ago, and is likely to grow even further as tangible distinctions between businesses become less sustainable"
"The brand element of that combined market value amounts to around one-third of the total, which confirms the brand as the most important single corporate asset.”
— “Brands And Branding” (Bloomberg Press)
Want more financial perspective on the real dollar value of branding?
➤ Click Here (then "Brand Value" on right menu)