The Balance of Brand Marketing and Direct Marketing
First, let's talk about what each of these mean.
Direct marketing is what we are all most familiar with. If you've ever see a commercial or ad that says “buy it now” then you've seen direct marketing. The intention of direct marketing is to get you to take a specific action (often to buy something) in a short time frame. The signs outside the stores at the mall that say “30% off this week only”… those are examples of direct marketing. The Facebook ads that link you right to the purchase or sign up page - those are examples of direct marketing. Again, the purpose of direct marketing is to get you to take action in a relatively short time frame. The step they want you to take should be very clear using a Call To Action (CTA).
Brand marketing is different. Brand marketing is simply marketing that is not intended to directly sell a product, but rather to inform someone or some group of who you are, what you believe and why it matters. Brand marketing is every commercial you see from Nike, Coca-Cola and many other well known brands. Think about it. When's the last time you saw the price of a shoe on a Nike commercial? Those commercials aren't about selling you a shoe. They are about selling you a state of mind and a lifestyle. They want you to know what they stand for and then you can choose to agree with them or not. Brand marketing is a long term play. There is no CTA.
Knowing what these are is great. Knowing how and when to use them is even bette
Brand Marketing
Brand marketing is playing the long game. It's running a marathon and it's critical for your long term business success. Ultimately, we buy from companies (and people) that they can relate to. We buy from companies that “get us.” But it's much bigger than that. It's not just about who we buy from. It's about who we endorse, who we seek out to see if they've released anything new, who we wish would release another product or have another concert. Brand is what causes people to line up outside an Apple store 24 hours before a phone goes on sale or what makes people line up at the door hours before the concert venue opens. You don't do that if you're not a rabid fan of a BRAND
Brand is what makes you stand out when other people have a similar product (news flash, someone else sells a product like yours - and if they don't now, give it six months and someone will). Brand is what makes you more than the product you sell. It's your DNA.
Now back to the original question: When do you use brand marketing? The Answer: As often as you can!
If Nike could afford to run a commercial on your TV every day, they just might. The reality is that you're not marketing your brand often enough. And neither am I. Instead, we're both thinking too much about how we can sell more products. And the irony is, the focus on selling more is often what prevents that very thing from happening. There is a time and place to sell. There's no doubt about that. But I'm much more likely to buy your product if I already know who you are and why you're doing what you do. Brand marketing is how the market gets to know you… it's the dating before the ask to marry you. The vast majority of you are proposing on the first date. You're asking for me to buy your product before I even know your name. It might work occasionally, but it's costing you a lot of time, money… and reputation
Get your brand right. And then tell the world why your brand exists and what change you're hoping to make in the world. Then, and only then, should you tell me how you can you help me and how much that costs. That conversation is “direct marketing.”
Direct Marketing
Direct marketing should be the follow up to people that already know who you are, the follow up to brand marketing. Don't lead with the proposal. Don't lead with the ask. It's great that you're running a special right now, but if you're going to tell me that you have the solution for me, you should probably know who I am or you just sound like a used car salesman.
“Boy, have I got the deal for you!”
I've heard it said that direct marketing is a last ditch effort of businesses that don't know how to do brand marketing well. I don't totally agree, because there is a time and place for you to tell me what you have to offer. Just please don't be cheesy, pushy or arrogant about it. Your product or service should help me solve a problem… maybe one I don't even know I have
Conclusion
Every company should be running brand marketing campaigns. Spending $2 a day (literally) on Facebook ads is a great place to start. There's always time to sell me later. For now, tell me why I should even care that you exist.
