We hear about them all the time, and people tell us they are good – no, essential – for our company, but what are they really? What is the difference between marketing and advertising? Is there even a difference? Well, in this article I hope to show you that yes, there is indeed a difference between the two, and it is one you need to be well aware of if you are going to take advantage of them for your company.
The two tools are undoubtedly integrated, yet remain crucially distinct. If the goal of your campaign is to present and promote your company or any of your products and services to current and future customers, then you are engaging in advertising. It is typically of a much more public and non-personal nature than marketing.
Marketing, on the other hand, is composed of a wide range of business activities that have as their goals a supposed mutually advantageous exchange between the customer and the company. For instance, all of market research, media planning, public relations, product pricing, and a strategy of community involvement would fall under your company’s marketing plan.
Still confused? Well, marketing and advertising actually go hand in hand. Advertising is, in fact one of those many different components of marketing. In fact, it is its most expensive component. It involves getting your company’s name into newspapers and magazines, onto billboards and television. It should be just one piece of your company’s overall marketing strategy, to put you in touch with the public.
Advertising can be well worth it if you have the money. It gives you the space to say whatever it is you want to say about your company – or your competition – to a wide audience. And, the more money you can spend, the more space you can buy, something which is very important in the very visual industry. The larger the ad, the more the eye will veer toward it. But, you must be careful in selecting the right media placement for your ad, making sure that it is reaching the target audience you are aiming for.
And, before you make any decisions about starting an advertising campaign, you should make sure it fits well within the scope of your marketing plan. What is your company’s overall strategy in terms of interaction and communication with the public? What are your objectives? What time of short and long-term returns do you expect to see in your investments? These are all questions you need to ask yourself before engaging in any kind of promotional plans.
The line between marketing and advertising can be a hazy one, but one that should become clearer as you create a strategic and targeted business and promotional plan. Knowing this difference will, in fact, make the difference between a campaign that fails, and one that loses you money. The greatest success will go to the company that is able to understand and combine the two tools to use for their benefit.
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