Are Marketing And Advertising The Same Thing?
To most people, marketing and advertising are the same thing. In fact, if you asked several experts, you would get varying definitions of the two terms, but all would seem to mean the same.
In a broad sense, marketing and advertising are the same things as they all work towards a similar goal. However, the technicalities involved are entirely different. This article will give a clear distinction between marketing and advertising.
Defining Marketing
There are very few monopolies in the world. If you decide to make the product, the chances are that there is someone else making the same product. So, what sets your product apart from the rest, and why should customers choose it instead of the other?
To set your product apart, you have to come up with a unique brand that stands for something unique. You need to show that you offer the best quality – and you should if you wish to overcome the competition. You need to exert as much control on the product to ensure that it appeals to potential customers.
Everything about preparing your product for the market is what constitutes marketing. It has an advertising aspect about it, but not actively.
Defining Advertising
Advertising is a sub-category of marketing. After you produce your products, you will need to make people aware of their existence. More than that, you will also need to convince potential customers to buy them.
Raising awareness of a product’s existence is what constitutes advertising. It is all about making the audience aware of what your product has to offer.
What Does Marketing Involve?
So far, the definition given above is just a brief explanation of what marketing is. The marketing process is more complicated than that.
The ultimate goal of offering any product or service should be to satisfy the user’s needs. To do this, you first have to identify your potential customers’ demographics. As such, the first step of marketing is studying the market and its audience.
Once you are aware of your potential customers’ demographics, everything else about marketing tends to fall into place. The next phase involves meeting their needs and making the product appealing. For instance, if your demographic is conservative, then you should present your product in a conservative and high-end manner. A lot of things are involved when it comes to this – everything from the production process to packaging matters.
Consider the food industry, which is one of the biggest industries in the world. People are becoming increasingly concerned about what they are eating in light of the health risks associated with processed and fast foods. Anyone can present their food as healthy, but unless they prove it not many people will be convinced. The smart marketer highlights the entire process of the food’s preparation, starting from organic farming methods to development using healthy components and by professional chefs.
What Does Advertising Involve?
Advertising is all about glorifying your product’s image. It involves presenting it to the market and making it appealing to potential customers.
There are numerous forms of advertising. The simplest – and perhaps the most effective – is by word-of-mouth. Another simple way of advertising involves print media, whereby advertisers use platforms such as newspapers and magazines to make their products and services known. Other more popular forms of advertising include video campaigns and web content – most of the promotion today is taking place on the internet.
Advertising has involved a great deal in just a few decades. To this end, it may take on an entirely new face in the coming years. The chances are that you will see less of print advertising in the future and more of interactive advertising through platforms such as virtual reality.
Two Inseparable Concepts
The successes of marketing and advertisement depend on each other, and the product’s success largely depends on both concepts.
Consider two similar products whereby one of the products adopts a good marketing campaign while the other remains in its plain form. If both products adopt advertising campaigns, there is no doubt that the former will command more attention. The thing is that advertising is all about highlighting the good aspects of a product or service, and these aspects mainly make up the product’s marketing.
On the other hand, consider a product that undertakes an elaborate marketing campaign but does not bother to advertise. It may be one of the best products compared to the competition, but few people will ever know that if it is not advertised. As such, besides the fact that the successes of marketing and advertising depend on each other, it is also evident that the success of the product or service depends on both concepts.
Marketing and Advertising – Get the Best of Both
Numerous companies offer marketing and advertising services, but few compare to BitGale. BitGale is a master when it comes to video ads, and it even works with clients to customize their marketing campaigns. You are assured of the best quality video quality and creative marketing recommendations from BitGale’s team of innovative marketers.