Wait... There's a Difference Between Brands and Products?

Brands and products seem like synonyms. I used to think that they were just whatever a company was selling. The truth is, they have very different meanings. Products are anything being sold. Brands are not physical matter. They are the perception that comes with all products.


Let me elaborate. Products can change; brands cannot. Products are made in factories, while brands are formed in the minds of consumers. According to my advertising professor Hobart, brands are the sum of a company's products, marketing materials, advertising, consumer experiences, public relations efforts, and emotional connection.


An example of true emotional branding is Starbucks. Up until a few years ago, they never used advertising one time. Not even once did they buy a commercial slot or a newspaper write-up. Starbucks became successful from its branding. Starbucks is known for its luscious experience, nice furniture, free Wi-Fi, and fine coffee. The customer experience is what has kept Starbucks famous and in business since 1971. More about the Starbucks success story can be found here: http://www.sosemarketing.com/2011/03/29/starbuck%E2%80%99s-success-is-its-word-of-mouthsocial-mediaviral-marketing-strategy/.


The YouTube video below also has a great explanation for the difference between brands and products.

Advertising Versus Public Relations

These are two very commonly mistaken terms. Many think the two are interchangeable. Though advertising and public relations go hand in hand, they are not the same entity. The difference between them is very crucial. Without one, the other would likely not succeed. So what’s the difference?!

I learned how to differentiate between the two from my public relations professor, Lindsay Hudock. She said that advertising is paid space promoting a certain product or thing, whereas public relations is a process of creating positive relationships and positive behavior. In fact, advertising is a public relations tool. PR uses advertising to merge or change a brand, do good will, or address criticism in the media. In public relations, any coverage is unpaid and from a third party source. In advertising however, the featured product is always displayed on a purchased space.

When public relations and advertising do not work together, bad things can happen. One example is R.J. Reynolds and Camel cigarettes. Per Professor Hudock, in 1987, Reynolds created a mascot to represent these cigarettes- Joe Camel. Unfortunately, Reynolds, an advertiser, did not consult any public relations agencies before releasing the camel. The results were disastrous. By 1991, Reynolds was accused of targeting children to smoke. He had to change his very successful image, and afterwards never fully recovered from the loss of Joe Camel. Nonetheless, if R.J. Reynolds would have consulted PR with his decision for this public image, this situation would not have occurred. Public relations, in charge of keeping good relationships, would have certainly declined the idea and saved Reynolds the heartache. You can read more about RJ Reynolds and the Joe Camel incident here: http://brandfailures.blogspot.com/2007/02/rj-reynolds-joe-camel-campaign.html.

Old Spice Commercials.. and Why They Work

The Old Spice commercials are different than other commercials because of their irony. They are in fact a sort of anti-advertising, because they exaggerate the effects of their products. The audience fully understands that these commercials are not telling the truth, so by advertising fake effects it is almost reversing the message point entirely. Why would this work?

The rhetoric of Old Spice catches the audience's attention. Consumers recognize that these commercials are not intended to be serious. This campaign works because the extra serious tone creates a humorous response. Also, the special effects help in setting this chain apart. Because of the rhetorical tone and irony of these commercials, they have become widely known.

A last important factor in the success of these ads is the face of Old Spice: Terry Crews. He was a guest star on many popular shows, one of which being My Wife and Kids. The ad execs in charge of creating these commercials knew that in order to connect with their target audience, young to middle aged men, they would have to choose a relatable figure. Terry Crews is a well known, comical, and muscularly built guy. Men respond to him as the Old Spice spokesperson because he is a very masculine actor altogether.

The Social Media Revolution

Social Media is more than a new trend in advertising; it is revolutionary. The YouTube video included states that, “96% of millennials have joined a social network.” It also says that if Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest in the entire world. Those numbers cannot be ignored in relevance to advertising. With a field so large, it is more than necessary to channel ads into it.

Advertisements on the internet are quick and fairly easy to put up. The convenience factor sets them apart from other mediums of advertising. The issue with cyber ads though, is that it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where to place them. Web surfers bounce around to dozens of websites a day. That leaves a lot of room for leeway. It can be tough to decide where to advertise, and to whom.

In order to choose which websites are appropriate for advertisements, employees must ask themselves a few questions. They need to know who their target audience is. If the product is a new men’s deodorant, chances are the target audience is young teenage boys ranging to middle aged men. Those advertisements would need to be placed on websites frequented by males. Perhaps people in the field of advertising would choose to broadcast these ads on a sports page. Regardless, achieving success in advertising is about relatability.

Types of Advertisements and My Preference

Advertising can come in many shapes and sizes. Some different forms include internet ads, radio, billboards, commercials, magazines and newspapers. Each has their own pros and cons. A paper ad can have a lot to offer because its audience is actually taking the time to read it, and therefore they care to absorb it. Unfortunately, paper ads are easy to ignore as well. Radio advertisements have a unique quality about them because listeners get only the audio message. The visual aspect of radio is created in the minds of the consumers, which can be a great thing because imagination is powerful. Television ads, however, have a special quality to them because they combine audio and visual features. When incorporating music, real people, and discussion all in one ad, the sensory outcome is strong. With all of these factors, I feel television advertisements are most powerful in relating to consumers. 

I believe that advertising over the television through commercials is most effective in selling products. I love the simultaneous blending of music and dialect. Due to this, television leaves a lot of room for creativity. In fact, a huge playing factor in commercials is humor. Ideally, I would like to be in charge of creating and scripting these commercials. Unfortunately for TV advertisers, programs such as DVR and other recording devices make commercials obsolete. If a consumer records a show to watch later, they will fast-forward through any ad to return to their show. Because of this, television advertising has major hurdles to overcome.

As a backup plan, I would love to participate in outdoor advertising. Outdoor advertising consists of any ads that aren’t in your home. In ‘Creativity at Work’ below, there are some examples of this. These advertisements are only limited by their creators. The real challenge is pushing past traditional black and white signs, and making truly unique and attention getting ads.

Stages of Advertising

In order to join the advertising discourse community, it is helpful to know the different stages that advertisements can embody. I learned all three from my advertising teacher, Professor Hobart: pioneering, competitive, and retentive. Each of the types set ads apart. You can tell a lot about a product after identifying which stage it falls under in the so called ad-spiral.

The first stage is pioneering. The pioneering stage is all about breaking new ground. In these ads, consumers are educated on why a new product should be important to them. It demonstrates a need and shows existence. The pros of pioneering a new advertisement are the ability to beat competition, define the category, and become known as a leader. Unfortunately, it is expensive to do research and development. Also there is a 67% fail rate among all new products.

The second stage of the ad spiral is competitive. This is when ads have reached the point when usefulness is recogonized, but superiority is yet to be established. In this stage, products that entered as pioneer brands have a short term advantage because people are already used to them. The challenge is staying ahead of competitors.

The last stage is retentive. In these ads, the product is already dominant and is just keeping its presence known. A dead giveaway is a large image and very few words, since the brand is already known. A big factor in this stage is Cognitive Dissonance, also known as buyer's remorse. It is our job as advertisers to prevent this, and always build the product up.

To learn more about the Ad Sprial, visit http://smallbusiness.chron.com/stages-advertising-spiral-10696.html.

Jack Trout and Repositioning

Jack Trout is a great idol in the world of advertising. He has been in the business for over forty users, according to http://www.troutandpartners.com/team/jack_trout.asp. He is a sought after keynote speaker, and has made his legacy off of one important idea: repositioning. In the video listed above, Trout explains his major tactics and opinions on the matter.

Repositioning is remaking a product's image. Trout explains how repositioning is important in keeping a brand fresh, however it must be done in the right way. If a company does not choose its words correctly, they can be misconstrued. Sometimes, a slogan can even be turned against a company by a competitor. Trout explained how this happened with iHop.

In sum, Trout achieved success by strategizing. His strategy was forging a path that established uniqueness, but did not over simplify the product. He believes that the product must be clearly explained and choose only one platform at a time for build up. Trout calls it, "How you adjust the perceptions in the mind of a prospect."