Difference Between Brand And Branding : Developing brand strategies is a highly specialized job, for which it is necessary to have technique and methodologies, although high doses of ingenuity and creativity are also necessary. Maintaining brand strategies over time, and adapting them to the constant changes in both consumer habits and the market, especially in competitive and volatile environments such as the current ones, make it a task as complex as it is fascinating. We explain the difference between brand and branding.
Any sign is capable of graphic representation that serves to distinguish the products and services of one company in the market from others (Spanish Patent and Trademark Office).
However, none of these definitions includes what a brand actually is, since they only refer to formal or registration aspects, but a brand is much more than that. In general, these definitions respond more to the trademark concept (the elements that allow a brand to be distinguished and protected) than to the brand concept (what it really means and the associations it generates).
Different Perspectives Of A Brand
We can define a brand in many ways and from many perspectives. Let’s see some of them below:
- At a general level, we can say that a brand is the set of meanings that are attributed to an offer and that generate a perception of it.
- From an internal perspective (that of the company), a brand is the expression of the purpose of a company and the commitment it makes to its stakeholders (employees, customers, etc.).
- From the external perspective (that of the public), a brand is everything that people think, say, feel and share about a subject or object (a person, a product or service, a company, a city, an institution, etc… )
- And from the point of view of management, a brand is a set of meanings that, if properly managed, make the product or service unique, and generate links with people.
As we can see, there are many more ways to approach what a brand is. Although its definition is not as important as knowing how to manage it properly so that it adds value. Although if we do not understand what a brand is from the outset and we limit ourselves to seeing it based on its graphic or formal aspects (the continent and not the content), we will surely not be able to manage it successfully, nor create an adequate brand strategy.
Branding: What Does It Consist Of?
On the other hand, branding contemplates the set of actions that are necessary, not only to create a specific brand but also to generate value associated with said brand. Therefore, those responsible for the company must ensure that their brand:
Effectively transmits the corporate and marketing strategy that has been raised.
Connect with the desires, expectations, and motivations of your audiences.
It has the capacity and path to enduring over time.
Normally, the English term branding is defined as “the process of building a specific brand”, but we could also add something else: it is the process of building, growing, expanding, and strengthening a brand in a context of maturity in many product categories. , media saturation, and digital reality in continuous evolution.
Creating a solid brand strategy with differentiating attributes that positions us in an increasingly saturated, globalized, and competitive market is essential for survival and success, but it must be done rigorously and professionally. Logically, it is also necessary to know how to activate these meanings with the appropriate initiatives and actions. And maintain them, reinforce them, and know how to make them evolve over time.
This is the main difference between branding and branding.
