What Is the Difference Between Marketing and Advertising

As we live in the technology era, it is difficult to detach our lives from its development. Almost every part of our lives has been set up by the use of technology. Business is one of the sectors in our lives that has experienced in shapes and cultures due to the technology. Modern business today has new power and means in acknowledging people about their products and services. New ways of communication have grown some new methods in marketing. Many digital tools are used in marketing and advertising strategies to reach more and more potential customers. When you look at the growth of social media today, most content you find would be marketing and advertising content. This reality is inevitable since social media has been one of the most effective ways to promote products and make sales.

Many people think that the terms marketing and advertising could be used interchangeably. However, there are many basic differences between the two of them. Marketing is a term that is used to describe the process of identification of the customer’s demand and how to apply the appropriate strategy to meet those demands. On the other hand, advertising is the activity of promoting a company along with products or services offered to the customers through some channels in which the company should pay for those activities. And that is only the main difference between marketing and advertising. If you look at it closely, then you will find more details about the differences. 

Marketing and Its Roles in a Business

Marketing is a significant part of a business. Its main function is to make a deep analysis of the customers. What their needs are, and then make strategies to make sure that those demands are fulfilled by the company. By doing so, it is expected that the sales rate will increase over time. Effective marketing would be the main weapon for the company to get profit at the end of the whole business process. Therefore, a good marketer should have the main objective to reach the maximum revenue for the business. 

As we know that there are two kinds of marketing in general, i.e., business to business and business to customers. In business-to-business marketing, all of the marketing activities are focused on helping other businesses grow by providing what it needs to develop. While in business-to-customer marketing, the focus is on the fulfillment of customers’ needs. In both kinds of marketing, there are several things to consider as the marketer. If you want to be an effective marketer, then these things below are the list of what you have to think about:

1. Objectives 

This part has been the most important part in making the strategy. What your company wants to achieve will be the vivid guideline of the whole process you want to make. In doing it, your main orientation should be on the products, the sales, the marketing itself, and also the production. By considering all those elements, then you will be able to make effective decisions when making strategies and plans. 

2. Focus

They are commonly known as 4 Cs; customer, cost, convenience, and communication. A good marketer should be able to take those in balance. By doing deep analysis on every C factor, then the more effective strategy a marketer would be. 

3. Environment

What we call the environment here is everything that could affect the making and the applying of the marketing strategy. Before making any decision, please consider both the internal and external environment of the company. A good comprehension of own condition and the external ones would take the strategy close to success when it is applied. 

4. Market 

This part surely cannot be left behind. The target market should be an important part to be considered at first. Knowing the characteristics and demands of the customers would lead the business into making the most appropriate products or services for the customers. Careful research and grouping would help the company make the sales in a more effective way based on the certain conditions of the customers. 

Those factors mentioned above would be the first thing to do in an effort to make an effective marketing strategy and plan. After that, then a company may calculate the cost needed and the benefit that might be obtained. From there, good and effective marketing plans and strategies may emerge to finally reach the ultimate goal of a business, which is to close as many sales as possible to get profit in the end.  

Common Types of Marketing

In general, marketing is an effort done by a company to acknowledge people about its business and the products it is offered to fulfill the needs of people. A long time ago, the marketing activity would be much dependent on some media such as TV, telephone, newspaper (for printed advertisements). These are quite effective ways of delivering messages to the public about what information a company wants to share. 

Then, as the world revolves and time goes by, the development of technology has touched every aspect of human’s lives, including the business world. Nowadays, the business has changed its shape. The internet has made us do everything easily, much faster, and with less budget needed. E-commerce has emerged as the development of the internet. The old marketing activities have turned into this shape of communication mode. Digital marketing has finally found its way to having a new dimension of communication between the producers and customers. Both can have direct communication, and that makes the marketing activities have gone in various kinds. 

So, no wonder that today you will be able to find various kinds of marketing as it is mentioned below:

1. Digital Marketing

Digital media has been used by businessmen in doing marketing. Even many businesses today start by using the internet as the media. The utilization of communication devices has helped people in developing their businesses. Computers, smartphones are the two main devices used in this case. Platforms like email, websites, blogs, and other social media have been taken advantage of by businessmen, especially new ones, in reaching their customers. 

2. Social Media Marketing

The use of social media to promote products or services has been spreading all over the world. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, or even Youtube channels have been commonly used by people to get in touch with customers. The company may use personal accounts other than the company account itself to promote the products. Commonly a company will involve influencers to help them promote the products or services. This is another effective way of marketing, as people likely have a tendency to do whatever the influencers do in life. 

3. Global Marketing

By using the power of the internet, several largest companies in the world have tried to develop global brands. By applying this strategy, the company would easily reach its customer whenever they are. Even across the world, that won’t be a problem at all. 

4. Relationship Marketing

The main point in this strategy is to keep the happiness and satisfaction of the customers. When a company has got loyal customers, then what they have to do next is to keep this kind of marketing towards these customers. It aims to build a long-lasting relationship with loyal customers. That’s why any marketing they do is aimed for the customer’s sake. 

5. Brand Management

It’s important for a company to keep its brand memorable. Therefore, there are several things that need attention carefully, such as the design, logo, packaging. Besides, a marketer should see some things else like the target market, the competitors, and the customer’s relationship as well. But it doesn’t mean that the company may put aside the products or services; since it is the main commodity to be sold. 

6. Development of the Products

Every business should consider upgrading its products constantly. And of course, the development should be based on the result of the target market analysis so that the product will meet the customer’s demand. When the products meet the customer’s demand, then the sales rate would likely increase, and that’s the goal of every business. 

Advertising and Its Function in Business

Advertising is basically an activity done by a company to promote the products by placing its branding and promotion in a certain place, and the company pays for it. The main purpose of this advertising activity is to acknowledge people about the product or services offered, and of course, this advertising is aimed to increase the sales rate at the end of the whole business practices. 

However, unlike marketing, advertising uses a one-way communication style. Here, the company may have full control over the contents. When a company has a certain place or channel to broadcast its products, it has full control over the whole content of what is being promoted. 

Many Large companies do than advertising due to many benefits they get; some of them are on the list below:

• acknowledge people about the products or services a company offers

• Make sure that the products are better than the other in the same type

• Give more insight into the brand and its culture

• Persuade people to purchase the products or make people think that they need them. 

• Show new variants for the products or services

• Educate people on how to apply the products or services

And there are many other benefits that can be obtained by the company when they do the advertising activity. In order to get those benefits, many companies engaged some types of advertising, as stated below.

Types of Advertising

Like marketing, advertising has changed its shape as well by the development of technology and the spreading of the internet. This digital era has played an important role in changing the face of our lives today. It has provided advertising spaces for companies so that they can do the promotion in a much easier way and at a much more affordable price. Today, people can use only their smartphones to engage their potential customers anywhere at any time. Advertising has developed some methods to make it more effective in promoting commodities. They range from the traditional ones to the most sophisticated ones, as is stated below:

1. Traditional Advertising

This is the conventional way of advertising. In this method, television and printed media like newspapers are the two main media used as advertising tools. Decades ago, this was an effective way of promoting things. 

2. Retail Advertising

Based on the name, the advertisement is placed inside the retail shops. When you walk into a store, and you see the products display or ads on the shopping carts, then they are an example of retail advertising.

3. Online Advertising

This term has involved the internet as the means to promote things. You can place your ads on websites, blogs, or any other media you have. An example of online advertising is website banners, videos, or sponsored content that you display on the internet. You can also use the search engines as the place you put your promotion. 

4. Mobile Advertising

Almost everyone has a mobile phone today. So, utilizing mobile advertising would make you reach your potential customer much more easily. Examples of mobile advertising could be in the form of automated dialers, banners to download apps, or click-to-call features. 

5. Outdoor Advertising

When you want to reach larger audiences, you can use this kind of advertising. Place your information in the heavy traffic spots where many people pass by; then, you will get more audiences that you may get potential customers there. You can place a banner, billboards, or even you can place stickers on the vehicle you usually ride and make it the branded vehicle. So, wherever you go, people would notice your vehicle, and they may be interested in the products or services you offer.

6. Pay per Click Advertising

This one is also a kind of online advertising. It is designed to increase the traffic of a company’s website. Companies would drag audiences to click on the link, and that’s when the company has to pay; when someone clicks on the link available. 

The Difference Between Marketing and Advertising

From all of the explanations above, when it is asked what is the relationship between marketing and advertising? Then we can say that advertising is basically a part of marketing strategy. A good marketing plan would include advertising in its strategy to reach the main aim of the business. A marketer would apply marketing communication in many kinds of media. There are paid media, owned media, and earned media which are commonly used by a marketing person to promote the products. The details will be elaborated below:

1. Paid media

This media will obligate a company to pay a publisher to display the advertisements. Example of this media includes broadcasts, billboards, or print ads. There is also online advertisement like search engine ads, social media, email, and direct mail. 

2. Owned Media

A company would make its own channel as a medium to promote its products or services. It would use the channel to show its marketing communications. Many examples of this owned media; you can relate things like websites, business blogs, corporate social, press releases, or even brochures or flyers that you may find many times. 

3. Earned Media 

This type involves a third-party role in delivering marketing communications. The media used could be the one owned by the company, but the content is the reviews given by the customers then posted in the media. You can also relate the articles about certain products, brands, or companies through printed media like newspapers or business magazines as an example of earned media. 

By understanding the elaboration above, it can be said the advertising has a limitation od domain of paid media only. But is incoherent that the main characteristics of advertising are basically a business activity where the displaying of certain messaging or information or branding is in exchange for compensation. In other words, we can say that when a product is being advertised, then you can see the price tag is attached clearly to the products.  

While when talking about marketing, the strategy may have an effect either on paid media, owned media, or even earned media. By analyzing the customer’s needs and demands, the company should know how to meet those needs. Then marketing can control how it will display its advertisement in paid media. While on its owned media, the company would easily lead the customers to the sales they want to make. And such things could also be done by using the earned media. The company would find the best way to communicate and interact with others through the whole media and get what is expected in return. 

So, Which One is It? Marketing or Advertising?

If you are asked to choose between marketing and advertising, which one would you choose to develop? Well, actually both are important in developing business. Many successful businessmen would engage their advertising strategy into the marketing plan as well as we know that advertising would be an important factor in the marketing itself. 

Advertising is a support system for a marketing plan by creating the right exposure of the products and services to the customers. It will increase the curiosity of the customers, make the closed sales happen, and those are supporters of the whole marketing plan.