While there is an overlap between the two, branding and advertising are distinct disciplines with different goals. A branding agency is focused on creating and shaping a brand’s identity. An advertising agency, on the other hand, is responsible for promoting that brand and getting customers to notice it.

The distinction between these two services is often blurred because both agencies can be involved in activities such as market research, strategy development, and creative execution. However, the key difference is that a branding agency is mostly concerned with the big picture while an advertising agency is more focused on the specifics of execution.

If you are a startup company or just starting out your own business, you may end up needing both. In this article, our experts at Public Ad Agency have identified the differences between branding and advertising agencies so that you can make an informed decision about which one to hire.

Definitions of Branding and Advertising

To quickly define the term ‘brand’, it is an overall experience that a customer has with a product or service—from your business name and logo to the packaging and messaging. A branding agency is responsible for developing and managing a brand’s identity.

An ‘ad,’ on the other hand, is a paid, public announcement about a product or service. Advertising agencies create ads and place them in various media outlets such as TV, radio, print, online, etc. The overall goal of advertising is to generate awareness and interest in a product or service so that people will buy it.

Now let’s dig a little deeper and define how each one differs from the other.

 

What is Branding?

Branding is the art (plus a little bit of science as it involves understanding your target audience’s behavior and interest) of creating a unique identity for a service or product. It is about differentiating your offering from the competition and making it memorable in the minds of consumers. A strong brand will evoke certain emotions and associations in the minds of its target customers.

Once you have a clear positioning strategy, a branding agency will help you to create a unique tagline and logo for your brand. They will also help you to develop other elements of your brand identity, such as your color palette, typography, and tone of voice. These will be all compiled in a brand guide which will be used by everyone who works on your brand, from designers to copywriters.

Your brand identity should be uniform across all touch points, from your website and social media to your packaging and advertising. This will create a strong and recognizable brand that customers will remember and come back to, whether it is on digital or traditional media.

At Public Ad Agency, we’ve helped clients to create and manage their brand identity across all channels. Our years of experience in the branding industry have taught us the importance of a strong brand. Our process always starts with a comprehensive discovery process to understand your business, target audience, and objectives. Only then will we develop a branding strategy that is tailored to your specific needs.

One of our pride branding projects was with Ontario International Airport—a renowned airport in Southern California. We were given the challenge of enticing location managers and scouts to choose ONT as a filming location of preference by highlighting the airport’s proximity to Los Angeles, the convenience, the services, and the space available, as well as the ease of booking.

Part of our deliverables was creating Marketing Collateral, Print Design, Event Marketing, and creating Environmental Graphics, which were placed in the terminal and distributed in various channels.

Branding is not just about creating a logo and tagline. It’s about developing a complete identity for your product or service that will resonate with your target audience.

 

What is Brand Positioning in Marketing?

The goal of positioning is to establish a distinct identity for your product or business in the thoughts of consumers. It is about differentiating your offering from the competition and making it memorable in the minds of consumers. A strong brand will evoke certain emotions and associations in the minds of its target customers.

For example, when you think of Nike, you might think of words like “sporty,” “athletic”, and “competitive”. Or, if you think of McDonald’s, you might think of “fast food”, “affordable”, and “convenient”. These are the kinds of emotional associations that a strong brand will evoke in its target customers.

A branding agency will help you to develop this unique identity for your product or service. They will start by conducting market research to understand your target customers and what they are looking for. Based on this research, they will help you to develop a positioning strategy for your brand.

The better you position your brand, the more likely it is that your target customers will think of you when they are looking for a product or service like yours.

 

How Important is Branding in Marketing

One of the most essential elements of marketing is branding. A powerful brand will set your product or service apart from the competition, help people remember it better, and elicit particular sentiments and connections in the thoughts of your target consumers.

A branding agency can assist you in developing a distinct identity for your product or service that will resonate with your target consumers, whether it’s on digital or conventional media.

In digital marketing, branding plays a significant role in building trust with potential customers. In a world where anyone can create a website or start a social media account, businesses need to establish themselves as credible sources of information and products.

Consumers are bombarded with marketing messages daily, so your brand needs to stand out from the noise. A strong brand will help you to cut through the clutter and reach your target consumers.

Branding is important in marketing because it:

• Makes your product or service unique among its competitors
• It helps people remember your product or service better
• Elicits particular sentiments and associations in the minds of your target consumers
• Builds trust with potential customers
• It allows you to get through the clutter and connect with your target customers

If you want to build a strong brand, consider working with a branding agency. They can help you develop a unique identity for your product or service that resonates with your target consumers.

 

How to Establish a Brand in the Market

There are many factors to consider when establishing a brand in the market. A branding agency can help you determine the best course of action for your business, depending on your specific goals and objectives.

Some of the things that you’ll need to consider include:

• Your target market: Who are you trying to reach with your product or service?
• Your brand identity: What kind of image do you want to project?
• Your brand positioning: How do you want to position your product or service in the market?
• Your competitors: Who are they, and what are they doing?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll have a better idea of how to proceed with establishing your brand in the market.

The branding agency will then help you to develop a branding strategy that takes all of these factors into account. This strategy will guide all of your branding decisions, from developing your logo to creating your marketing materials.

 

What is Advertising?

Advertising is a type of marketing that involves producing and disseminating messages with the goal of promoting a product, service, or brand. Advertising aims to reach potential customers and convince them to purchase your product or service. It can be done through various channels, including television, radio, print, online, and out-of-home.

An advertising agency specializes in creating and executing advertising campaigns. They will work with you to develop an advertising strategy that meets your specific goals and objectives. The agency will then create the ad campaigns, choose the appropriate media channels, and place the ads.

 

What is the Role of Advertising in Marketing?

The role of advertising in marketing is to create awareness and interest in a product or service, persuade potential customers to purchase the product or service and remind current customers to continue using the product or service. An effective advertising campaign will reach the target consumers with the right message, at the right time, and through the right channel.

Advertising is only one component of the marketing mix. It should be used with other marketing activities, such as public relations, social media, and product placement.

In the world of digital marketing, advertising refers to creating and distributing online messages that promote a product, service, or brand. This may be accomplished via search engines, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, blogs, and websites.

Digital advertising is a catchall phrase for a variety of marketing activities. Banner and display ads, pay-per-click (PPC) advertisements, and native ads are some of the most frequent forms of digital advertising.

 

What are the Different Types of Digital Advertising

There are many different types of digital advertising, but some of the most common are display ads, pay-per-click (PPC) ads, and native ads.

• Display ads: Display ads are ads that appear on websites, apps, and other online platforms. They are offered in different sizes and can either be static or animated. It can be in the form of a banner or a video.
• Pay-per-click (PPC) ads: PPC ads are ads you pay for each time someone clicks on them. This type of ads usually appear at the top of Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs).
• Native ads: Native ads are ads that blend in with the content of the website or app where they appear. They are designed to look like regular articles, posts, or videos.

At Public, we’ve previously worked with several clients on developing and executing advertising campaigns. One of the PPC/SEM campaigns we’re proud of is with Corky’s Pest Control—a local Southern California business that provides quality structural and landscape pest control services. Through our SEO and SEM efforts, we’ve observed an increase in organic clicks by 465%, impressions increased 270%, CTR increased 54% and average search engine position increased from 42 to 27.90 within seven months (Jan 2019 – July 2019).

In a nutshell, advertising is a great investment for any business wanting to reach a larger audience and promote its product or service, especially for those just starting out. When done correctly, advertising can be an effective way to grow your business.

 

Choosing Between a Branding and Advertising Agency

Now that you know the difference between a branding and advertising agency, it’s time to decide which one is right for your business. The truth is, there is no one definitive answer to this question. Both are necessary, especially for startups and small businesses. It really depends on your specific goals and objectives.

If you want to create brand awareness, then an advertising agency is the way to go. They will help you develop an advertising campaign that meets your specific goals and objectives.

A branding agency is the way to go if you’re looking to establish a strong, recognizable brand. They will help you develop a brand identity that will resonate with your target audience.

You need an advertising agency if you feel like your brand is:

• Unrecognizable
• Has little to no brand equity
• People don’t know what you do

You need a branding agency if you feel like your brand is:

• Recognizable but lacks differentiation
• People know what you do, but you’re not the first choice
• You need to build brand equity

You need the help of both branding and advertising agency if you:

• Are a startup
• Have a relatively new brand
• Are looking to create awareness and build equity

 

If you’re not sure which one to choose, we recommend talking to a marketing professional who can help you determine which path is right for your business. At Public Advertising Agency Temecula, we specialize in both branding and advertising, so we’re always happy to help our clients figure out the best course of action for their business. So feel free to holler at us today!