What is brand marketing?

Brand marketing is a branch of marketing that shapes consumer perception of your company. Beyond products or services, brand marketing promotes your brand’s personality, mission and promise. Think of it as the difference between saying “Buy our new organic protein bar” and “Join us in a cleaner, healthier lifestyle.” The first promotes a product. The second invites you into the brand’s world. 

Brand marketing uses consistent storytelling across channels such as social media, web content, and advertising to build brand awareness and public trust, and to reinforce the unique place your brand holds in consumers’ minds.

Brand marketing uses consistent storytelling across social media, web content, and advertising to build trust and reinforce your brand’s unique position.

Brand marketing vs. product marketing: what’s the difference?

Both brand marketing and product marketing are key to marketing success, but they serve distinct purposes. Having both is important for a strong marketing strategy, whether you’re a small business getting started or a big corporation with years of marketing experience. Simply put: 

• Brand Marketing focuses on the broader strategy: the brand’s reputation, emotional resonance and long-term relationship with the audience. Its goal is to build loyalty and establish a strong market presence, often requiring a dedicated brand manager. 
• Product Marketing focuses on the details: launching a new product, highlighting its features and benefits and driving sales for that particular offering. Its goal is conversion and revenue for a specific item or service, and it will often have a dedicated product marketing manager. 

Ideally, the trust gained from your brand marketing creates a solid foundation for your product marketing efforts to be more effective. 

Why brand marketing matters for businesses

Investing in your brand is a strategic decision with benefits that extend across your entire company.

• Builds customer loyalty and trust: Customers are more likely to stick with a brand they know and trust. A strong brand builds customer loyalty and creates advocates who will choose you repeatedly and recommend you to others.
• Command premium pricing: A recognizable and respected brand may help you position your products or services as premium, as customers perceive greater value.
• Differentiates you from competitors: In a saturated market, your brand identity (i.e., your unique story, values and visual identity) can help you stand out. 
• Strengthens company culture: A clear brand mission and values act as a guiding principle for your employees, encouraging unity and supporting your company culture. 

Putting the key pieces together for your brand marketing strategy

Building a powerful brand starts with a strong strategy and an understanding that it’s a long-term commitment, not a short-term effort. It also requires intention and consistency in these core elements:

1. Defining your identity: Are you innovative and disruptive or traditional and reliable? Your brand identity will inform every decision you make and includes your mission, vision, core values and one-of-a-kind personality. 
2. Crafting a compelling story: People often connect with stories. Use your narrative to share why your company exists, the problem it solves and what you believe in a way that’s relatable and true. 
3. Ensuring visual and verbal consistency: From your website design to customer service interactions, consistency builds brand awareness and makes you instantly identifiable at every touchpoint. 
4. Choosing the right channels: Where is your audience? A multi-channel approach ensures you meet them where they are, whether that’s content marketing, billboard advertising, social media posts, public relations, newsletters or live events. 
5. Building an emotional connection: The strongest brands convey a feeling as well as a colour palette. Successful brands know the power of tapping into emotion and how it can make the difference between a one-time buyer and a lifelong fan.

How brand marketing builds your employer brand

Your brand is certainly important for your customers, but it’s also a powerful tool for attracting and retaining employees. This is called your “employer brand,” and when it’s strong and positive, people want to work for you. This advantage makes it easier to attract and hire the best candidates for your company. With a powerful positive brand, you:

• Attract quality candidates: Candidates are more likely to apply to a company they know and love. Your brand marketing efforts shape your reputation for potential new hires.
• Reduce hiring costs: A compelling employer brand organically attracts higher-quality candidates and reduces your reliance on active recruitment. 
• Ensure cultural fit: Clear brand values and mission can naturally attract candidates who align with your company culture, leading to lower turnover. 

You can reflect your authentic brand identity on your careers page and in job descriptions on sites like Indeed, and even in the interview process, to showcase your company’s story and culture.

Getting started with your brand marketing strategy

Ready to build your brand and share it with the world? Here are foundational steps to getting started:

1. Conduct internal and external research: Evaluate your current brand perception to understand your strengths, weaknesses and differentiators. You can do this by talking to employees and customers and assessing your competitors. 
2. Define your target audience: Who are your customers? Creating detailed buyer personas to define your target audience will help you understand their needs, desires and pain points.
3. Articulate your value proposition: Clearly state what makes your brand unique, why a customer should choose your business, and how your value proposition aligns with your brand identity. 
4. Develop your brand guidelines: Create an official guide outlining your brand’s mission, voice, tone and visual identity. This ensures everyone in your company represents the brand consistently.
5. Execute and evolve: Launch your strategy, listen to feedback, track performance, and be prepared to adapt or refine it to grow with your company and target audience. 

Brand marketing is not a one-time campaign. It’s a continuous investment in your company’s perception and relationship with the wider world. Focusing on your brand allows you to build a business that customers value and admire. Additionally, this strategy helps you attract quality candidates who align with your mission, without relying on recruiters.

Ultimately, your brand is not just about a single product or service. It’s about what you believe, why you’re doing what you do and the legacy you build. Brand marketing is the strategic process that makes your company memorable, relatable and able to stand out in a crowded market.