Branding - It’s More Than Just Colouring

I once had an enlightening conversation with a sales director who saw branding as just colouring. He thought selling was a brand’s strongest tool. And of course, the two are distinct parts of a business. 

Yes, we love branding. Obviously. So, we’re going to be in the branding corner. But should we treat branding and sales separately? The thing is, the two are inextricably linked. Let us show you what we mean. 

What is branding then?

We love the succinct summing up in this quote by media and comms trailblazer, Gary Vaynerchuk. “The difference between branding and sales is simple. Are you trying to convert or are you trying to create an experience? The latter always wins.”

So, hooray. Branding is what every business should focus on. Case solved. The reality is more nuanced though. It’s important to see the value in both and to connect the dots between them.  

Branding covers a whole load of things. Everything in a brand can be slotted somewhere or another under this heading. It might be how streamlined your website experience is. Or how well your business answers calls. Yeah, it’s logo design. It’s also your personality as a business or your brand identity. And when it comes to your customers, it’s your brand perception. 

What does a strong brand identity give you?

Just like any personality, the thing that makes us stand out is individuality. A copycat taking on someone else’s brand isn’t going to fly with people in the long run. But expert branding allows you to carve out your niche or compete in a busy space. 

Building a brand that makes sense in the world we live in is important too. It has to add value, feel meaningful. It must feel engaging and relevant. While visual folks might be getting excited about typefaces, colour palettes and logos (and they are exciting,) we need to dig deeper. Much deeper. And create a brand with a purpose.  

And how about sales and marketing?

The trouble is, divisions between sales and marketing departments are just sort of expected. It’s so ingrained, it’s hard to see how the twain meet. That explains wholly the comment from the sales director at the top of this blog. 

We’d be as bold as to say that they shouldn’t be siloed. Both departments are working to the same objectives. There are some misunderstandings around each too. Sales teams are often thought of cold callers. Marketing as colouring. There’s a lot of overlap between the two. Both should be instrumental in building and promoting a brand. 

In conclusion …

Branding is more than just colouring. It has its creative perks, but you can come up with the best colour pallet known to man and remain undiscovered without the rest of the stuff. And that stuff includes a multitude of branding activities, supported by both marketing and sales departments.

We need to overcome these stigmas, slash the department siloes and work together to create truly individual brands that align on all levels.