Have you ever seen an ad that simply exists? It isn’t trying to sell you something (overtly) or get you to take immediate action.
It isn’t trying to make you “buy now”, “click here”, “visit today”, or “call to order”
It simply is.
Covert Advertising
It could be something as simple as a brand name or logo that’s placed somewhere just to say “hi”.
Or it could be something more interesting and engaging like a funny commercial or picture. There are countless examples of these type of advertisements that went viral and in turn received millions of views, clicks, likes, or shares.
In the case of Red Bull, this type of advertising takes the form of an entire channel of programs and episodes across a multitude of sports and delivered in a variety of ways to an eager and hungry audience.
It also involves a full time staff of hundreds and a multimillion dollar budget (which shows the power and importance of this type of marketing)
Brand Marketing
These types of ads are called Brand Marketing and they all possess varying degrees of long-term thinking.
The more value they provide and the less they ask for, the more long-term the strategy.
Brand Marketing is an opportunity to form a connection with your customer base and to provide value in one form or another, but normally in one of the following two ways:
- Entertainment
- Education
Or the hybrid:
- Edutainment
Brand Marketing is a chance to show your company’s expertise as well as its personality and what it stands for and represents.
The benefits of Brand Marketing are huge, and all center around providing more and greater value to the customer in order to position your company as the go-to business in your industry.
Direct Marketing
Direct Marketing on the other hand is all about the now.
It’s about clicks, calls, subscribes, and cash-in-hand.
Direct Marketing cares less about long-term strategy and is all about maximizing and leveraging current assets to obtain the greatest return possible – right now.
This is where analytics, split testing, and on page optimization come into play.
Yes Direct Marketing can provide value, but the end goal isn’t to forge a long-lasting and meaningful relationship, rather it’s to accomplish a shorter goal like boosting sales, promoting an event, or clearing out a product.
Direct Marketing is quantitative, Brand Marketing is qualitative.
One At A Time
Neither Brand Marketing nor Direct Marketing are inherently better than the other.
They each have a role to play in forming your overall businesses marketing strategy.
The danger arises when the lines between the two are blurred, and rather than taking one path or the other, a sort of middle ground is obtained that provides less value, and get’s less return.
Which Is Better?
There is no right or wrong, good or evil, effective or ineffective clear cut answer here.
The only clearly wrong choice is trying to accomplish both goals with the same campaign.
As with most things, the answer is some degree of balance between the two, depending on your goals, budget, and timeframe.
I like to advise somewhere around a 60/40 or 70/30 split with the majority going to Brand Marketing and the smaller portion dedicated to Direct Marketing.
This ensures the priority is placed on long-term customer relationships, providing value, and establishing trust and authority in the marketplace and places the wants and needs of the customer ahead of the almighty dollar.
Serve the customer and the dollars will follow.
