Last week we took a little break to discuss strategies for branding in a rough economy. This week we’re talking about overall timelines and the difference between branding and advertising.

Keep in mind that the branding you create is a long-term commitment. At the very least, you want 3-5 years (sometimes a company’s branding is in place for 20+ years) of that consistent look and feel. You have to give the consumer time to associate that branding with your company. Changing your branding more often can create confusion. That’s why in re-branding, most companies choose to do a big re-launch – promoting the new look and feel, new website, new tools or applications, etc. While you want branding to remain consistent and in place for the long-term, re-branding is an effective and useful way to drive sales and create buzz for your product or service. Let’s face it, sometimes re-branding is absolutely necessary to ensure your company’s success and foothold in the marketplace. Being current in the market is just as important as the brand experience you create.

Another way to look at branding is to understand the difference between creating a brand and an ad campaign. They are most definitely different beasts, yet undeniably linked to one another.

Our good friend Wikipedia.org defines an ad campaign as “a series of messages that share a single idea and theme. Advertising campaigns appear in different media across a specific time frame. “ Advertisements are meant to create interest in, or buzz around, your product or service. They keep your company top-of-mind with your target audience. They support the overall message of your brand. Ad campaigns are the short-term attention-grabber, which supports your long-term branding message and consumer experience.

As a side note, ads need to be targeted and specific, catch a person’s eye and coerce them into contacting your company or finding your product. An ad cannot be your only selling tool and too much information in an ad will immediately turn off your audience. You have maybe 4 seconds to grab someone’s attention as they flip through a magazine or drive past your billboard. Our clients will typically run an ad no more than twice in any one publication. After it runs twice, we place the next ad in the campaign series.

Think About It:

How long has your branding been in place? Would re-branding give you a new foothold in the marketplace? Do your ad campaigns support the vision of your overall brand? Are you running effective advertisements that catch the reader’s attention and give them a reason to seek you out?

We want to know what you think and hear your answers to these questions! Next week we wrap up our posts on branding and announce our next series!