Difference Between Marketing and Advertising

Understanding the Difference Between Marketing and Advertising

Many people get confused between marketing and advertising. Also, most people consider marketing and advertising to be the same. As Allan Dib mentioned in his book "The 1-page Marketing Plan" he did tell us a very simple story that spots the difference:

If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying "Circus Coming to the Showground Saturday" that's ADVERTISING.

If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that's PROMOTION.

If the elephant walks through the mayor's flower bed and the local newspaper writes a story about it, that's PUBLICITY. And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that's PUBLIC RELATIONS.

If the town's citizens go to the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they'll have spending money at the booths, answer their questions and, ultimately, they spend a lot at the circus, that's SALES.

And if you planned the whole thing, that's MARKETING.

Marketing: The Big Picture Strategy

In simpler words marketing is the whole big thing, the strategy and the plan you build to attract your target segment and get them to know you, love the product or service you offer and make them buy it using a mix of advertising, promotion, publicity, public relations and sales. A comprehensive digital marketing strategy encompasses all of these elements working together.

Advertising: One Piece of the Puzzle

On the other hand, advertising is just the way you communicate a message to your target audience through any marketing channel either a traditional channel or a digital marketing channel. Advertising could have many forms like printed ads, billboards, radio ad, TV ad or an ad on Facebook. Marketing is what makes you select a certain media type and the communication channel that best suits your target segment. Whether through social media marketing or PPC advertising, choosing the right channel is key.

How MG Digital Can Help

If you need a good digital marketing agency that can use a mix of marketing tools to help your business do not hesitate to contact us "MG Digital". Our team specializes in creating integrated marketing strategies that combine SEO, content marketing, and paid advertising for maximum ROI.