Even if you’re not that into movies, odds are you’ve at least heard of No Country for Old Men, 2007’s Best Picture winner. Its antagonist has become one of the most famous, sinister, and in turn, mocked characters in recent memory. I mean, how couldn’t he be with that haircut!

What does this character do? Well, in an effort to avoid spoilers (because frankly, you really should see this flick), I’ll just say he flips a coin, and rather frequently.

A coin flip. Hmm. Sometimes, small business strategy can feel like that, in terms of where to direct attention. But grasping a key difference between two often misunderstood arenas - marketing and advertising - will inform you, lighten your load, and generate sales in one fell swoop. Let’s break it down, starting with clear definitions of each.

What is Marketing?

The American Marketing Association defines marketing 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”. Now, it’s cool to have a source from an official governing body. It’s not cool that it reads like an intro to a pharmaceutical study in a medical journal.

Put more simply, marketing is the effort to spread awareness and generate interest.

What is Advertising?

Our friends at Merriam-Webster dictionary inform us that advertising is “the action of calling something to the attention of the public especially by paid announcements”. Advertising is to marketing as hydration is to health. It’s crucial, and very much a singularly important practice, but it operates under the umbrella of marketing.

Put more simply, advertising is portraying something as worthy of consumers’ time or purchase, and is usually paid for.

Difference Between Marketing and Advertising

Let’s stick with the movie theme for a bit.

You’ve probably heard the expression “Lights, camera, action!”. Funnily enough, that same sequence is quite the metaphor for marketing and advertising.

Marketing is psychological, emotional and much more about setting a mood; you know, like lighting and photography so deftly do. Advertising is the action. It’s more transactional, and it clearly advances the story. Put another way, marketing is like a character description, and advertising is more like what they do.

Branding in the World of Marketing & Advertising

Though it informs both, branding is its own niche and helps further distinguish marketing from advertising.

Let’s take Dodge Ram. if I asked you to recall three specific Ram ads and describe, even loosely, what happened in them, or what truck or special offer they were highlighting, could you? I’m guessing not, and that’s okay, I couldn’t either.

But do you think we could recall their brand? How their presence feels, sounds and engages? You bet.

Through advertisements, Ram brands itself as rugged, expert truck manufacturers so they can market themselves to consumers looking for a truck that can expertly handle the most rugged of jobs. 

See how each of these things works individually yet collectively?

Research & Development

Research and development isn’t just for the laboratories, oh no. 

Both are imperative in marketing, because marketing’s shifts are quicker and more unpredictable than advertising’s. That which is trending, memes and social media are just a handful of examples of intel that demands constant research for marketing optimization. Additionally, the software landscape is ever-changing, be it for campaign tracking, customer management or anything else related to marketing. R& D of course is necessary in advertising, but it needs more devotion in marketing.

Goals

When you advertise, you want the customer near the end of their buying journey.

Domino’s Pizza advertises a lot, and you know what almost all of their ads hammer home? Discounts, specials, new items & services. That’s it. They know what they do, they know people get hungry, and they know they have substantial pricing power in their market. Seriously, pay attention next time. Domino’s isn’t about funny narratives, sharp wit or indelible voiceover. They’re about advertising outstanding deals on pizza, and gee golly does it work.

Marketing goals on the other hand, can cast a much wider net. What’s the lead generation looking like? How many new users are you averaging a week? Does the department have sound SMART goals? What were engagement metrics for the latest social campaign?

In short, marketing goals should dictate how you’re doing, to maximize what you’re doing (in the big picture sense, i.e. selling cars, HVAC, restaurants, whatever your field is).

Labor, and Who Performs it

If you wanted to tackle your marketing & advertising yourself, at least now you’re equipped with at a blueprint of sorts. Issue is, well, unless you truly have the time and mental space, it’s not recommended. At least not while there are stellar media groups, ad & marketing agencies happy to assist.

Just know, when it comes to outsourcing marketing, it’s likely to demand greater expense due to the brainpower, time and team(s) required. Additionally, you may still have to pencil in some time. Any company worth its pesos should allow you to see under the hood, be involved, and even though they’re the “pros”, guide some stages & ideas.

if it’s just an ad campaign you want, say over radio or social, you may find it to be less expensive and feature a quicker turnaround (if the contract is short-term). That said, production is absolutely a key differentiator, and it can be a big deal depending on medium (radio is probably the least demanding while also being cost-effective).

Bottom line, outsource your marketing if you’re okay with what will likely be an overhaul of your business’ perception. Don’t do it if you want to be completely disengaged, otherwise you run the risk of enormous waste. Outsource your advertising when you feel your presence is distinct and fully formed, and have an idea of how you want the final deliverable to look, feel, and call consumers to action.

Focus Separately, to Dominate Broadly

Marketing and advertising demand their own strategy, yet build upon each other. We love that dance, and never cease to be are thrilled when it benefits our beloved small businesses, and the community that buys from that at a much higher rate thanks to stellar campaigns on top-rated stations.

And we’re growing, meaning we want more! So if you or someone you know has a small business who wants to conquer marketing, advertising with our smart, fun & caring team, let’s chat.