Brand versus Product Advertising - does it matter?

There is a debate raging in our house at the moment, about the relative merits of brand versus product advertising. From how you define the difference, to how effective either option is. But, despite the multitude of examples supporting either strategy, it is, in truth, nothing more than a theoretical discussion which is irrelevant in the context of the consumer.

Because, at the end of the day, from a consumer perspective, there is no difference. From a consumer perspective, every piece of communication, however, we define it, is a brand ad. It tells consumers something about your brand, and leaves them (if you are lucky) with a perception of your brand. Advertising that we, as marketers, might define as “product ads” build brands too. And if you want those sort of ads to build rather than detract from your brand, its probably important to ensure the branding is clear, the personality and tone is authentic and the offer and product is in keeping with the overall strategic direction.

All too often we think and act in silos of marketing activity. We segment our actions and plans into innovation or core, into brand advertising or product advertising. We separate our budgets into communication or promotion, into above the line or digital. But consumers, in essence, don’t make those distinctions. Consumers just hear a piece of information, followed by another piece of information, followed by another... and that is, of course, if your creative is good enough to be heard. All the bits add up, and create an overall picture in their heads about what the brand is about.

Of course, it is not just communication that builds brands. This is merely the start point. Brands are equally created by the experience consumers (and their friends) have with the products and services those brands sell. And perhaps more importantly, brands can only be sustained and further built if there is a cohesiveness between the communication and the experience. Do these two touch points resonate and thus build a stronger more robust brand in line with our strategy? Or is there a disconnect between the promise and bluster of an ad, and the delivery of a service or product? In the case of the latter, all the hard work done by good communication is undermined.

Qantas can shout as loudly and as beautifully as it likes about still calling Australia home, but every time a consumer meets a grumpy ground crew member or is mistreated by belligerent stewards, that wonderful brand-ad is undermined by the experience of the product/service.

The key, is not to think in terms of “branding” as a job for a piece of communication. The brand should be the ethos by which the whole organisation operates. That way, brand values are authentic and it is easy to ensure that the consumer experience of the brand, whether through product usage or communication or engagement, is in line with the brand promise. And thus, all activity becomes brand building.