I’m sure you’ve heard both of the terms “branding” and “marketing”. In fact, I’m sure you’ve heard them used interchangeably many times as well. Some folks simply refer to either term when trying to get across the idea of getting more exposure for their business or organization. There is, however, a subtle difference in what these two terms mean. And this difference can make a great impact to your immediate promotional results as it relates with custom merchandise.
When it comes to custom imprinted merchandise, the difference between these two terms comes down to what is imprinted on the product and how the product is used with the end user (your customer or prospect). If the expected result is simply to keep your name “top of mind” to the end user, with nothing specific to say and no designated action for the end user to take, the product would be considered as a form of “branding”. In other words, you just want people to see your name and/or logo multiple times over to establish a presence in their mind (much like branding on cattle!). On the other hand, if you have a specific goal in mind, and imprint goal-specific information on your products, you would be taking more of a “marketing” approach. The information to be printed on the merchandise could be certain benefits of your product or service along with a call to action for the end user to take.
As an example, lets imagine this scenario: a local pizza parlor decides to order two types of promotional t-shirts. On one order the t-shirts have the pizza parlor’s business name and/or logo printed on the left chest. On the other order the t-shirts have a large imprint on the full front which not only contains the parlor’s name and/or logo, but also states:
FREE SODA AFTER EVERY GAME!
Stop in at Pete’s Pizza on Main Street
Now, the pizza parlor takes both orders and distributes the t-shirts at various high school sports games during the school year.
What do you suppose would happen? First off, people LOVE to receive free t-shirts, so both shirts would be highly accepted at every event. But the difference is in the message. People who received the shirt with the logo only would certainly be very appreciative to the pizza parlor, and may decide they should go down and try the pizza sometime. People who received the shirt with the offer of free soda after the game, however, would react differently. Not only would they decide to try the pizza parlor sometime, but, hey, why not after the game? We get FREE soda, so we should do it tonight!
And that is where you feel the most impact with marketing versus branding. Branding certainly has its place. If you are hosting an event, merchandise branded with your logo adds a distinguished and successful image for your guests. Also, supply items are also used as a branding item. Pens in your office, the shirts your staff wear as uniforms, etc. Things people see when they are already using your product or service or visiting your location. Many very large corporations also use branding to situate themselves effectively. Pepsi, Nike, and McDonalds to name a few.
But if you are looking to create the most immediate and effective result for your advertising budget, it is always a great choice to use your custom merchandise as a marketing tool, stressing a benefit to the end user that will give a reason to react to your call-to-action, whether it’s to visit your location, log on to your website, or give you a call.
Branding is for your overall image. Marketing is to accomplish a specific task. And with these differences in mind, you can more effectively choose which method you should use for your current needs.
