Content vs. Branding
June 29th, 2007 by Bob Bly
My colleagues Michael Stelzner and David Scott Meerman are, like me, advocates of marketing with content.
But a recent article suggests that our approach is all wrong.
The author said that branding is more effective than ever today.
Reason: prospects are suffering from information overload. They don’t have time to process product information. And so they make purchase decisions based on brand reputation rather than product facts.
Well, hey, if that’s true, then prospects don’t want — or have time to read — more content, right?
So which should a marketer concentrate on?
Becoming a thought leader by publishing valuable content?
Or branding?
This entry was posted on Friday, June 29th, 2007 at 8:28 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
June 29th, 2007 at 9:37 am
Another great question Bob. I think that there may be different answers depending on what you’re selling and the size of your business.
But ultimately aren’t we achieving the same thing just approaching it differently?
I’m sure that apple will sell many iphones because of the incredible brand they’ve built, and that marketing with content will not play a large part in it, if any, although all of the buzz that’s been created does create content, even if it’s not generated by apple themselves.
It doesn’t have to, they’re already there and will stay there as long as they consistently support the brand they’ve built with new, unique products and maintain a certain level of customer service.
But if you’re selling a service, marketing with content can be very effective, by helping to position you and your firm as experts.
I think when someone is having a problem and they seek out information on how to solve it, it’s different than when someone is being bombarded with excess information. It’s all about how you do it.
But isn’t establishing that “expert” reputation just another way of building your brand?
June 29th, 2007 at 10:34 am
Bob,
I love branding messages. I laugh with the commercials that are fun and memorable. I chuckle over who is wearing the milk mustache. But when it comes to making a buying decision – the cute and clever messages based solely on branding don’t give me the information I need to change my behavior or part with my money. I may think the caveman commercials for Geiko are memorable but would I switch insurance companies based on what I see in the commercials? No.
And the words have to connect with me. I don’t want to hear about quality, price and selection – frankly those are a given – the price of admittance. I want to know that you GET me, that you UNDERSTAND my pain, you CONNECT with my needs and you’ll PROVIDE the solutions to make my life easier, better, safer, whatever.
You aren’t going to do that with a branding message alone. Not in my book. When I think successful branding image, I think Target. Seeing the red circle connects with my prior shopping experiences. I see the red circle and I remember a clean environment, helpful employees, nice selection, reasonable prices.
I can’t think of another company as successful with a branding message – bottom line – I need words.
Deborah Chaddock Brown
June 29th, 2007 at 10:45 am
Bob:
Very interesting question.
I don’t think that strong content will ever go away as a preferred method of marketing. I think branding is critical, but often built BY strong content. To use Susan’s example of the iPhone, yes it gets a lot of press from the fact that it’s an Apple product…part of a strong brand. But, if it didn’t do all of the things it does (in my mind…that’s the content) would it get the same press. I doubt it. If it was simply a cell phone with Apple’s name on it, it wouldn’t do.
I think there needs to be a strong connection between branding and content. In fact, brands are often built by the content…at least the good ones. The days of hiding poor content with fancy branding are over (or should be!). Thank God!
June 29th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Both. It’s not an either/or proposition, they are not mutually exclusive. I think Susan is right: establishing that expert reputation is another way of building your brand, both play a part in the process. Branding is intriguing; thought leadership is inviting.
June 30th, 2007 at 9:00 am
I heard someone calling my name…
Bob, I would have to agree that prospects are suffering from information overload…
HOWEVER, that makes the job of copywriting ever MORE important.
“Me too” writing will drown in the sea of excess.
I think now what matter is relevance more than brand.
It helps to be known, but in the BtoB world, often businesses buy from people/other businesses they have never heard of.
AND, good content can actually help a business become a thought leader and improve branding.
Thanks for pulling me in.
June 30th, 2007 at 11:38 pm
Right now, I think branding is more important. You’re right about information overload – I tend to focus on brand names I trust rather than compare reviews of similar products.
July 3rd, 2007 at 10:09 am
Branding has become popular because it is seen as a higher level of commitment. (We will ALWAYS do thus and so–freshest, fastest, most compassionate, you name it.)But once you do name it – you had better deliver. Branding is ultimately about the customer experience. You create a set of expectations and then deliver on it. If you don’t, the brand is dead or dying, no matter how cute the logo. When a brand delivers on expectations it has created it becomes memorable and recognizable (because it has consistently delivered on those expectations). Here a few examples:
Let’s look at Ron Popeil’s Ronco Company. What is he saying? He’s saying: Come on live a little; have some fun with gadgets. And he gets that customer to be engaged–to buy into the experience as well as buy the product. His Showtime Rotisserie–Set it and Forget it. Set it and…what? And the audience roars…forget it!!!
This is a far different experience than the sophistication and culinary seriousness of say, a Williams and Sonoma or a Sur La Table. They are saying, You can’t possibly attempt to do this properly without this stainless steel masterpiece. And you believe it because the outcome matters to you–it is your boss or mother in law coming for a sit down dinner party or Thanksgiving.
So, you think what is the outcome I want them to have? (with my product or service) and you deliver on that in everything you say or do–your newsletter, your catalog.
Are we serious or are we fun? If you are BMW and branding yourself as the Ultimate Driving Machine…you better have some sophisticated experientials to back that up–the showroom, the brochures, the ads…as well as a smooth driving performance vehicle. Or the first time I pull out in front of a truck on I-95 and I barely beat it–I’m going to be more than disappointed, I’m going to be returning it to the showroom.
July 3rd, 2007 at 10:36 am
I’m from the old school – words sell. Yes, branding works, but without words, whaddya got? I don’t buy M&Ms because they added blue to their “menu” – I buy them because they promise to melt in my mouth, not in my hand. That and the fact that I like chocolate…
I have to agree that branding requires more attention to copy than at first glance. Case in point – I was asked recently to review a new product being considered for the market. They were tired – scented tires. The copy was shmaltzy at best; “You demand the best perfume, ladies! Why not the best smelling tires?!” Uh, how about because I don’t go around sniffing tires like a beagle with a full bladder? It was the case of a ridiculous product that was made worse by copy that insulted its intended audience. Why the hell would we women care if our tires emitted a lovely lavender scent? We want to know if the damn things are going to last!
Sheesh.
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:32 pm
“Branding” and “content” are not necessarily two different things. The most effective branding is just an abbreviated version of content.
Look at the iPhone. The actual selling points of the iPhone are embodied in its very design. You don’t need a long explanation of why the iPhone is desirable, because the selling points are built into it. From a marketing perspective, nothing could be better!
When you read about the iPhone, you are getting a more in-depth explanation of what is built into the brand.
Branding and content can be two different expressions of the same thing, so I don’t think it’s a case of one being better. In the end, there is no brand without content — so content is always primary, at least in that sense.
David Fideler
Concord Communications and Design
http://www.concordcd.com/
August 13th, 2013 at 6:21 am
I seriously love your blog.. Excellent colors & theme. Did you develop this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m wanting to create my very own website and would like to find out where you got this from or exactly what the theme is called. Thank you!
August 24th, 2013 at 7:58 am
|I am often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new information.}
February 25th, 2018 at 12:56 pm
Nice one i say nice one
https://solarmoviesa.com/
June 12th, 2018 at 8:28 pm
This is very great and brilliant information. Thank you for the valuable information. http://www.cb01.ws/lastnews/
June 25th, 2018 at 11:09 pm
Thank you so much! This is what I want to learn now instagram technology it’s very helpful. I think both marketing and branding are helpful, but I think branding is more important.
March 8th, 2019 at 7:29 pm
Branding is definately becoming more and more important today – Lofty
March 8th, 2019 at 7:34 pm
Braning is the way to go in my opinion – Lofty
July 8th, 2019 at 5:50 am
It’s a nice educational article. From this article, we can understand what is the difference between content and Branding. Branding is definitely becoming more and more important today. real estate photo editing companies Thank you for share it with us. It’s an excellent article. I really like it.
November 18th, 2019 at 9:23 pm
Are you an iOS fan? Do you want to enjoy the amazements of iOS in your current operating system? Most of the people these days are big fans of iOS. And why not! After all, iOS is fast, powerful, and flawless. However, not everyone can afford to buy expensive iPhones or Apple’s devices.
visit ios-emulators-for-android
February 5th, 2020 at 9:40 am
If you want to get a professional paper written without plagiarism and grammar errors, you can visit the website of the expert services.
July 6th, 2020 at 2:44 am
Content and branding are a necessary marketing strategy for any business and its products or services across the internet. The need for professional marketing is increasing exponentially in this competitive world. So many important data regarding the topic can be found in this section. Boost 4g signals in the Netherlands
September 9th, 2020 at 9:37 am
It is an informative post, and it gave me some information about the details of content vs branding. Branding is a marketing practice in which a company creates a name, symbol or design that is easily identifiable as belonging to the company. vegan diet You gave a detailed description and easy to understand.
November 30th, 2020 at 1:26 am
In order to make sure that your essay works out, we recommend that you contact a service https://papernow.org/personal-statement-help online essay writer that will help you with this and as soon as possible will write an essay on any topic and you will definitely stay
December 16th, 2020 at 6:31 am
Chance are small that it will help me, but let’s read first and judge later.
December 17th, 2020 at 6:21 am
Thank you very much for writing such an interesting article on this https://scp096.co/ is a horror free online game
December 20th, 2020 at 6:59 am
One of the main requirements of a good essay is a high level of originality.https://expert-writers.net/book-report Be sure that receiving a non-original paper from our service is near to impossible.
January 4th, 2021 at 3:37 am
marketedly.com is a popular tech blog where we mainly share news and articles related to internet, Gaming, Discord, Twitch, Minecraft, Windows and other tech troubleshooting help https://marketedly.com/
January 16th, 2021 at 3:08 pm
Are you an iOS fan? Do you want to enjoy the amazements of iOS in your current operating system? Most of the people these days are big fans of iOS. And why not! After all, iOS is fast, powerful, and flawless. However, not everyone can afford to buy expensive iPhones or Apple’s devices.
visit ios-emulators-for-android https://www.google.com/
February 4th, 2021 at 4:56 pm
Essays are the staple of college paper writing. Each semester, a student spends 50-80 hours writing essays. Feel like there are other – better! – ways to spend time? Then delegate your essays in any subject to our dedicated Mater’s writers.
June 12th, 2021 at 12:58 am
I an assassination attempt by Spain. Over time, pugs have been the favored breed or both royals and celebrities—from Napoleon and Queen Victoria to Andy Warhol and Rob Zombie.
https://pugslandbreeder.company.com
June 29th, 2021 at 1:04 am
https://savannahbengal.company.com/
July 12th, 2022 at 5:22 pm
Content matters. Greetings all here, let me add here that every time you want to announce the launch of any new products or new promotions, it is important to create a yahoo Press release about the event so that you create a buzz. This can be a good way to generate more sales.
September 14th, 2022 at 2:40 am
Keeping a wordle today winning streak alive can be tough. With only six tries to guess the daily answer, your choice of a starting word is key.
September 15th, 2022 at 5:25 am
One of our fundamental goals is to make sure that our clients can realtor houston tx easily obtain the information they require and can get answers to any queries they could have in this age of information and communications technology
September 21st, 2022 at 8:27 am
Great
https://www.citizendailypost.com
https://www.metrodailyreporter.com
June 26th, 2023 at 5:35 am
I found myself nodding along with every word you wrote. Your insights are spot-on! Having recently discovered the Clickspeedtester Click Speed Tester, I was amazed at the benefits it offers. Not only does it help improve your clicking speed and accuracy, but it also serves as a valuable tool for gamers, professionals, and individuals seeking to enhance their hand-eye coordination and reflexes.
July 5th, 2023 at 11:46 pm
It’s incredible how a single melody classroom 6x or a well-timed crescendo can make us feel the triumph, despair, or exhilaration that the game intends to convey.
July 15th, 2023 at 7:41 am
PLAY4Doge a good guide for playing with dogecoins
October 9th, 2023 at 5:02 am
Newborn hamper gifts are special bundles of joy designed to welcome a new addition to the family. These hampers typically contain a combination of baby essentials like clothing, diapers, baby care products, and sometimes sweet treats or keepsakes for the parents to cherish.
October 10th, 2023 at 12:02 am
When you decide to buy a VPS in the USA, you gain access to a virtual server hosted within the United States. The USA is known for its robust infrastructure and advanced technology, making it an ideal location for hosting websites, running applications, and conducting online businesses. Buy VPS USA, you can benefit from fast network speeds, low latency, and reliable connectivity, ensuring your online presence is accessible to a wide audience.
October 12th, 2023 at 4:14 am
Obtain cheap Windows RDP VPS plans that offer seamless remote access to your Windows environment. Enjoy the combination of affordability and functionality to enhance your workflow and productivity.
October 24th, 2023 at 9:34 pm
Building a strong brand is vital because it can create trust and Pokedoku recognition. In situations where people are overwhelmed with choices, a strong brand can provide a sense of security and reliability. Your brand encompasses more than just your logo; it includes your reputation, the quality of your products or services, and the emotions and associations your business evokes.
November 13th, 2023 at 12:06 pm
Good blog! Its a great opportunity for that student who wants to learn the English language online. check this altadefinizione23.com if you are looking for film gratis in altadefinizione
November 28th, 2023 at 5:19 am
Experience feature-rich virtual server hosting without breaking your budget. Our cheap USA VPS hosting plans provide a reliable and high-performance environment for your websites and applications. Benefit from our cutting-edge infrastructure and USA-based data centres to ensure top-notch performance and accessibility for your online projects.
December 18th, 2023 at 4:41 am
A friseurstuhl is a specially designed chair that offers comfort and support to clients during a hair salon visit. These chairs are often adjustable in height and have a recline feature for ease of operation.. Explore our collection of stylish and comfortable barber chairs to provide the best experience for your customers.
January 2nd, 2024 at 7:27 am
We Buy Dead Stocks is synonymous with trust and reliability for scrap buyers Abu Dhabi. We have a deep understanding of the local market and the expertise to offer competitive prices for your surplus items. Experience a seamless selling process that prioritizes your convenience and ensures you get the best value.
March 20th, 2024 at 3:13 am
Absolutely! Content plays a crucial role in creating buzz and generating sales. When announcing the launch of new products or promotions, it’s essential to craft a Digital Journal Press release about the event. This will help generate excitement and interest, leading to increased sales and a broader reach for your offerings.
March 26th, 2024 at 2:42 am
https://medium.com/@hjeff1906/unlocking-success-bloomberg-press-release-strategies-revealed-bf5238e308c5
https://medium.com/@hjeff1906/mastering-the-art-of-bloomberg-press-release-submission-your-ultimate-guide-47c9f2f3c5ee
April 16th, 2024 at 4:16 am
Digital Journal Press release
May 1st, 2024 at 2:27 am
Feel free about knowing something new on solar energy, solar power and, of course, solar panel northteksolar.com
June 13th, 2024 at 1:38 am
Content marketing is a strategic approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience. It aims to drive profitable customer action by offering engaging and informative material rather than overtly promoting a product. Utilizing services like Marketwatch press release
, Marketwatch press release distribution, and Marketwatch press release service can significantly enhance the reach and impact of content marketing efforts by ensuring that well-crafted press releases gain maximum visibility and credibility among target audiences.
June 27th, 2024 at 3:37 am
Newsalarms
July 22nd, 2024 at 4:57 am
https://web3newswire.com/products/token2049-singapore-promo-code-tb19483311-6743
August 16th, 2024 at 2:56 am
Amsterdam’s premier cannabis dispensary offering a curated selection of high-quality marijuana strains, the best CBD products, edibles and concentrates. You can now Buy Cannabis Online In Amsterdam Netherlands with a click of a button. Buy Weed Online Amsterdam Netherlands!
September 23rd, 2024 at 2:21 am
Blockchain Life event press release
https://web3newswire.com/products/blockchain-life-event-press-release
October 16th, 2024 at 11:23 pm
After a stressful day of work or study, playing online games is a great way to relax, relieve stress and regain your spirit.
October 18th, 2024 at 2:30 am
Both branding and content marketing are essential for modern marketers. Branding builds immediate trust and recognition, especially in a world where prospects are overwhelmed with information. However, valuable content positions a company as a thought leader, providing deeper insights and fostering long-term relationships. Rather than choosing one, marketers should integrate both strategies: use branding to create trust and content to offer ongoing value and expertise. This balance strengthens both short-term and long-term engagement with prospects.
November 1st, 2024 at 2:00 am
After a stressful day of work or study, playing online games is a great way to relax
November 8th, 2024 at 4:10 am
Yes, in the Philippines, you can register multiple TNT SIM cards under one name. The SIM registration guidelines, issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) under the SIM Card Registration Act, allow individuals to register multiple SIM cards. However, each SIM must be registered separately and include the required personal details and verification documents. This ensures that each SIM is properly linked to the registered owner, helping to enhance security and accountability. https://simcardregistration.ph/
November 19th, 2024 at 10:00 am
Totally agree! Branding builds trust quickly, while content marketing provides ongoing value to keep people engaged. Combining both is key—one grabs attention, and the other strengthens relationships over time. For helpful tips, check out https://tmsimregistration.info/!
November 26th, 2024 at 1:44 pm
Globe has emphasized that the registration process will strictly follow privacy regulations to ensure that users’ personal data is protected. The information collected will only be used for the purpose of SIM card registration and law enforcement requirements. Data security measures are in place to prevent unauthorized access to personal details.
https://globesimregistrationph.org/
November 30th, 2024 at 2:44 pm
It’s an interesting debate! In reality, the best approach often combines both strategies. Branding builds trust and recognition, which are crucial in a crowded marketplace, while valuable content positions you as a thought leader and nurtures relationships with prospects. The key is balance—strong branding can make your content more impactful, and great content can enhance your brand’s credibility.
Speaking of balance, for businesses using tools like QR Code of Globe SIM, ensuring registration through the QR code method adds another layer of trust. It’s simple and secure—scan the code to register your SIM hassle-free. A strong brand paired with smooth processes like this creates an experience customers value!