Stark Services – “AC in the Attic”
Stark Services was an HVAC – Plumbing company in Dallas, TX and part of Church Services...
The terms “brand” and “branding” are often used interchangeably even though the two are distinctly different and have their own role to play in your brand’s identity.
But very often, the terms are interpreted and used improperly by even experts in the marketing field. As a business, confusing the two can make you look unprofessional while leading you to miss out on some crucial opportunities that they both offer.
So, here’s everything that’ll make you look smarter in your next meeting with your creative branding agency.
What’s a Brand?
Simply put, your brand is who you are and what you stand for. It’s a marketing tool with a capacity of epic proportions when used correctly. The brand represents your business’s vision and story, and how you plan to convert the vision into a reality. It should influence everything about your business, from how you answer the phones to the types of people you hire.
In short, your brand is what comes to people’s minds when your business is mentioned, and your brand uses visual identity and often verbal dialogue to communicate the business. It’s a key tool for your marketing efforts and is essentially what helps people remember you.
What’s Branding, Then?
Branding, on the other hand, is the visual and verbal representation of the brand. So, it’s basically an action; hence the use of -ing in the term. Branding refers to the entire process of creating one’s “space” in the minds of your market and perceptively positioning your products and services in a way that allows your “brand” to pop up in people’s minds.
Everything falls into the branding sphere, from the tone you use for marketing to your verbal and visual identity, creation of your brand strategy, and other marketing materials. And while your brand is created only once, the branding process may carry on for years and may have to be restarted at some point, i.e., rebranding.
Why Is It Important to Make the Distinction?
Both branding and brand are interrelated and, to a certain degree, interdependent, but they are separate concepts. While your brand is external, your branding efforts are all internal. Moreover, one is an asset, while the other is an investment. And most important, your brand is a crucial goal, while branding is the crucial strategy that leads you toward that goal.
Making the distinction is important because both brand and branding have their own unique purposes that help the business survive.
Need Help from a Creative Branding Agency?
If you’re still confused about the difference between brand and branding, let us help you out.
We’re a branding and marketing company based in Houston, TX, and our marketing experts at OAK Interactive can help you with all your branding efforts.
Get in touch to start a conversation.
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