Marketing vs Advertising

To take off on the very first AdHacker blog, this time we’ll take on a question often mistaken by people who manage their own campaigns.  Marketing vs Advertising, is there a difference?  Wikipedia gives the following definitions for Marketing and Advertising:

Advertising is an audio or visual form of marketing communication that employs an openly sponsored, non-personal message to promote or sell a product, service or idea.^[1]:465 Sponsors of advertising are often businesses wishing to promote their products or services. Advertising is differentiated from public relations in that an advertiser pays for and has control over the message. It differs from personal selling in that the message is non-personal, i.e., not directed to a particular individual.^[1]:661,672 Advertising is communicated through various mass media,^[2] including traditional media such as newspapers, magazines, television, radio, outdoor advertising or direct mail; and new media such as search results, blogs, social media, websites or text messages. The actual presentation of the message in a medium is referred to as an advertisement or "ad" for short.

Marketing is defined by the American Marketing Association as "the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large."^[4] The term developed from the original meaning which referred literally to going to market with goods for sale. From a Sales process engineering perspective, marketing is "a set of processes that are interconnected and interdependent with other functions" of a business aimed at achieving customer interest and satisfaction.^[5]  The process of marketing is that of bringing a product to market. As such, the steps include, broad market research; market targeting and market segmentation; determining distribution, pricing and promotion strategies; developing a communications strategy; budgeting; and visioning long-term market development goals.^[10]Many parts of the marketing process (e.g. product design, Art direction, Brand management, advertising, Copywriting etc.) involve use of the creative arts.

So advertising is a component of an entire marketing plan as is brand management.  Our previous blog drew from the difference of branding and call to action advertising and knowing that each component was necessary to help grow a business.  It matters not whether you are selling a product or service.  It is important to invite consumers into your business to buy what you are selling.  Let’s look at two examples of the difference in brand management and call to action advertising…one of the examples is a business that sells products, the other sells services. 

Morning Fresh Bakeries is a long-term client of WLEN Radio.  They have successfully positioned themselves with both call to action advertising and a brand marketing message:

Here is a brand marketing campaign:

Time, talent and taste.  What do these three things have in common?  Why morning fresh bakeries of course.  It takes time to make a really good product, and morning fresh bakeries makes their donuts and rolls fresh from scratch every day.  They don’t use frozen or partially cooked items that they reheat.  It takes talent to make those home-made donuts and rolls and decorated cakes and cookies.  The people at morning fresh have been making baked goods for Lenawee county for a long time.  They didn’t just walk in off the street and call themselves bakers.  They aren’t a grocery store, or a hardware store or a sporting goods store trying to be a bakery.  They stick to what they know, and they know it better than anyone.  Taste.  You can taste the difference that time and talent make.  You know it’s fresh, you know it’s homemade and you know it’s baked with care, because at morning fresh bakeries, baked goods are what they do.  Morning fresh bakeries on south main street in Adrian, and on north Adrian highway in Birdsall.

And here is a call to action ad:

January.  It’s just kind of that month in between Christmas and Valentine’s.  are there any good reasons to eat cookies?  Not that you need a reason at Morning Fresh Bakeries since they are fresh baked every day, but…. for the month of January when you buy a dozen cookies, you receive 6 free.  that’s 18 cookies!!  18 reasons to be glad it’s the ‘tweener month.   when it comes to taste, it makes a difference.  stop in today.  Morning Fresh Bakeries, South Main, Adrian and North Adrian highway, Birdsall.

Hospice of Lenawee is another client of WLEN who has a significant presence on the radio.  Hospice uses it’s radio campaigns to effectively brand it’s end of life services and also to initiate calls to action for volunteers or to attend events and make donations. 

Here is a brand marketing campaign: 

My name is Jennifer Ward; I am proud to be a nurse with Hospice of Lenawee. Every year, nearly 1.6 million people living with a life-limiting illness receive care from hospice and palliative care providers in the US. Hospice is not a place. Hospice programs provide pain management, symptom control, psychosocial support, and spiritual care to patients and their families when a cure is not possible. At Hospice of Lenawee we are committed to providing the best care possible to ALL in our community. This allows our patients and their families the opportunity to experience more meaningful moments together.

Hospice of Lenawee – you are our community and we are your hospice.

And here is a call to action advertising message:

Travis:

Rumi said if light is in your heart you will find your way home. I’m Travis havens, executive director of hospice of Lenawee, each year hospice of Lenawee honors those you love with the lights of love remembrance tree lighting ceremonies in communities across Lenawee county. we invite you to join us on Sunday December 3^rd at 6pm by attending a ceremony in memory of someone dear to you – or as a tribute to someone who has made a difference in your life.

Tara:

I’m Tara Gutierrez, director of community education and development, as we celebrate the spirit of the season – the lights of love trees will be lit throughout this special time. please join hospice of Lenawee in remembering. 

We welcome your support with a gift in honor or memory of your loved ones. to find the locations of lights of love trees visit hospice of Lenawee dot org.  

hospice of Lenawee – you are our community and we are your hospice.

There is a time and a place for both of these messages…..we can help you build your plan to brand your business and invite people inside….We welcome your comments about brands, advertising and marketing.  Until next time……AdHacker