Your Brand Precedes You
30.07.2010
I hear terms like “marketing, ” “PR,” and “branding” in conversations so often, and so interchangeably, that I lose track of what we’re actually talking about. And then even I get confused about the difference among them… and I specialize in branding!
And so I was grateful for this comic from Chris at 9GAG.com for so simply illustrating the difference.
I think of branding as the message, while marketing/pr/advertising are the means of communicating it. Crafting that message using consistent language, graphics, photography, colors and experiences is what I do best. Communicating that message via social media, editorial placement, ad placements, etc is what marketers do best. Without a consistent brand, what are you marketing?
What I like about this comic is the idea that your brand precedes you. It speaks for you. It warms up your audience. It draws out your customer from the rest of the crowd. It starts living in a customer’s mind before they’ve called you, before they’ve tried your product or service.
As long as you’ve built a brand that is authentic, you’ll have no problem meeting the expectations of those who are calling for more information, which in turn reinforces your brand.
In the context of this comic, if you’re branding yourself as a great lover, the only way to meet that expectation is to be one.
