Clarifying definitions of buzzwords

From ZAG: 



I see keywords like "marketing" and "branding" thrown around a lot but I don't necessarily think many of the people throwing them around have a good grasp of what they mean. I've decided to take a few minutes to throw some definitions out there and try to apply them to what we do. I'm going to focus on marketing, branding and advertising for this round (though I do think a lot of what we try to achieve is public relations as well).

Marketing is the biggie. I hear people talk about how they are marketers all the time (even give entire presentations on what e-marketing is and how to do it) but then you when ask them for a definition of what marketing is, they look at you with a blank stare! The AMA 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.

Ok, so what the hell does that mean? For colleges, who don't have a tangible product to sell, I think of marketing as the articulation of your story to your constituents, telling them why they should care and then giving them a call-to-action. I'll put it more simply: Marketing is connecting with your constituents on a human level. Not only are you proving that you have value TO them, you want to show that you share your values WITH them.  Or to steal one from Kathy Sierra, you want to show them that your organization can help them kick ass.

Here are some examples from Nike (I use Nike a lot because I'm training for a marathon and its just top of mind...it doesn't mean that there aren't tons of other great examples out there too):



Or even better....



Two of the 9 bazillion components of marketing are advertising and branding.  I pick these two to focus on in this blog because they are two areas I have been directly involved with and I think they are some of the most common ones used in higher ed (again, PR is also used but it's a completely different audience and I'm not inclined to summarize my 4 year, $120,000 undergraduate education in a few paragraphs in a blog ;-) )

Advertising creates awareness about your product. I bring this up specifically because of my recent blogs on using Facebook social ads. Although I think that some people will make a purchase as a result of these ads (a purchase in my case being a gift to Dartmouth), I view these mostly as a cheap way to reinforce other messages that our audience has received over other mediums.

We've also discussed using Facebook ads as a general educational tool. "Did you know tuition covers only two-thirds of a Dartmouth education? Make your gift today" sort of thing. In this equation, the ask is almost secondary. It's not something we would expect to get many gifts off of but would make it easier for those who see it to say yes the next time we ask them. This is not something we've implemented yet (thank you Facebook billing issues!) but maybe some day.

Branding can be defined a few different ways. Traditionally, we associate it with logos or iconography that is associated with a company. It's why we know the a swoosh equals Nike. I think its more broad than that - it has more to do with the reputation of a company. In other words, you have a solid brand if people have happy thoughts at the mention of your company or one of the products.

Having a solid brand also creates customer loyalty. I'll use Nike again - I rarely buy work out cloths or shoes that aren't Nike. It's not that I think Adidas is bad, it's just that Nike convinced me first. They don't have to advertise or market to me at this point. Since they've created such a reputable brand and instilled it in my mind that I just automatically go to Nike.com when I'm looking for a new pair of running shoes.



The most important thing to understand about branding is that it is a long-term process and you had better have a plan in place. If you're trying to brand your university to prospective students who have never heard of you before, good luck. You had better start when they're in middle school (or at the latest the beginning on their sophomore year) because it takes a long time (hint: this is where electronic communications comes in - if you think a once-a-year print letter to freshman or sophomores in high school is going to nail down your brand in their minds, you need to go back to business school).

Key Takeaways:
1) Buzzwords are great for impressing the boss or your colleagues but its important to have a solid grasp on a definition and function.
2) About 9 bazillion things fall under the category of "marketing", but overall its about creating and maintaining a connection with your audience.
3) Advertising is short term awareness building, whereas branding involves long term strategy.