The Difference Between Branding and Action Type Advertising

In marketing, there are different types of advertising with distinct goals and measures of success. The two main types are brand and action type advertising, which both have clear-cut differences. Before launching a campaign, it’s important to understand your marketing objectives and determine which type would work best.

Below are some differences between the two:

What is brand advertising?

These are mostly known as awareness campaigns, designed to establish a company’s position, promote awareness and change perception. Campaigns of this type usually take time to yield results, and are long-term initiatives. The key to getting traction in this type of advertising is consistency. Scenarios where branding advertising would be appropriate include:

• New companies wanting to build brand loyalty. Brand advertising enables you to capture the attention of prospective customers and establish familiarity and recall.
• Establishing or reestablishing market position. It can help position your business as a thought leader or trusted resource in the industry.
• Staying top-of-mind with consumers. Most businesses have on- and off-seasons, and awareness campaigns can keep them engaged with your brand year-round.

With brand advertising campaigns, you can build strong, lasting relationships with consumers over time and increase overall demand for your brand. When done right, brand advertisements can increase your company’s exposure, influence and engagement.

What is action type advertising?

These are known as promotional or direct response campaigns, designed to drive audiences to take specific actions. These campaigns are tied to specific business goals that last for defined periods of time. These types of campaigns also have clear call-to-action (CTA) directives to attract and engage customers. This type of advertising works well in the following scenarios:

• When the company has an upcoming event. To have a successful event, you need people in the seats, and campaigns with clear CTAs can help draw a crowd.

• When new products or services are launched. In this case, you may use both ad types to educate consumers and drive them to take a particular action.

• When there are specific sales goals to meet. Action type advertising can help you meet revenue goals and profit margins through tactics like retargeting and cross-selling.

While brand advertising is designed to produce results over time, action type advertising is used to drive immediate action from consumers. The primary goal of these campaigns is to generate conversions, whether that’s downloading a resource, registering for an event or even making a purchase.

While there are key differences in brand and action type advertising, they can work together in a strategy that maximizes their strengths. Working with a media partner to determine the right advertising mix is key. They can assess your current goals, determine your market position, leverage the right tactics and measure results to create successful ad campaigns. Learn more about Hubbard Chicago and how they can help build an effective advertising strategy that will drive clear results.