Marketing vs advertising

Many clients ask me about the difference between marketing and advertising.

Often the two are seen as one and the same, however this is not the case.

In a nutshell, marketing covers the overall analysis, presentation and promotion of your product to the market place, while advertising is a key part of your promotional mix to promote your product within key media.

Put simply, advertising is one of a range of tools in your marketing tool box.

Marketing incorporates:

· analysis (of your product and the marketplace)
· planning (including goal setting)
· positioning
· and promotion of your product to your target market.

Marketing should be a key element of your business plan, helping to drive your business to higher profit by increasing sales.

General awareness alone or brand awareness serves no purpose if your target audience doesn’t then take the next step to actually purchase from you.

Many businesses spend a lot of time and money on advertising without putting into place an overall marketing strategy to inform and support this advertising.

To ensure you get the mix right, take the time at least every 6 months to review and refresh your marketing strategy. Marketing plans should be a dynamic aspect of your business, able to change and develop to suit the current business climate while still achieving your longer terms goals.

“This article was written by Tracy-Madonna Wylie, Business Manager, Nutbirdz Strategic Marketing, and printed in the My Marketing Companion column of the Fraser Coast Chronicle in 2007.”