Branding vs. Marketing

Though many people see branding and marketing as interchangeable, they are more interdependent. I see branding as being how your brand is seen by the public and the value that it stands for. On the other hand, I see marketing as a way for the public to know what your brand stands for and what it has to offer. Lots of businesses use branding and marketing hand-in-hand to ensure the most success.

An example of a brand that has built a great solid foundation (branding) is Airbnb. Their brand is 100% about the customer. That’s why instead of telling their own story, the customers tell their stories since they are truly the heart of the brand. Their customers basically are the brand and that helps them tell the stories of their experiences in Airbnbs. An example of a brand that has done a great job building the house (marketing) is Budweiser. Even though Budweiser focuses on selling products, they have also recognized the power of experiences. They have partnered with AnyRoad to experimentally market their Brewery tours and tastings so that customers don’t just associate Budweiser with a product, but also an experience. A brand that has done great at both branding and marketing is Burt’s Bees. They have accomplished this by first starting off with strong branding. Burt’s Bees has always stood for putting the best, most natural products on your body. Their brand stands for healthy living and natural care products as well as activism. As for marketing, they do a great job communicating these messages through social medias, like YouTube. There they advocate not only about the brand, but also the bees that play a huge part in their brand. Something all these success stories have in common is the fact that they utilize not only branding, but also marketing simultaneously.