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Branding vs Advertising: Knowing Differences to Better Align Your Strategy

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Branding and advertising are the major tools used to promote businesses. They help brands to reach and acquire new customers and are also good drivers of sales and profits. For instance, presenting a brand on all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%

The two elements are closely connected on purpose, and they feed off each other, hence, it’s easy to get them confused. Also, each has the ability to make the other more or less effective. Although their major goal is to increase revenue, they do it differently. Failure to know the difference between branding and advertising can create a marketing gap, but knowing the difference between the two can strengthen your marketing strategy. 

In this article, we will be discussing the differences between branding and advertising to help you better align your overall business strategy. 

What is Branding 

First, let’s understand…

What is a brand?

A brand refers to a compelling identity that helps businesses create a long-lasting emotional connection with their customers. It is a promise of value that gives a unique customer experience. Customers remain loyal to brands that share their values Ibomma

Businesses should know that a brand is not owned by a company, but by the customers. So, if your customers don’t buy into your brand’s story, the brand doesn’t really exist. 

To build a brand, a business must develop a holistic awareness of its operations, strategy, and communications. Everything that a business does, including customer service, website design, responding to customer calls, handling customer complaints, and much more, is part of establishing its brand. 

Thus, branding deals with the identity of a business and everything it does to make customers loyal to its products or services.  

The identity of a brand determines what customers think about it, and it is marked by factors like its logo, colors, and tagline. For example, color improves the recognition of a brand by up to 80%. Branding helps businesses to build relationships with customers and relay a consistent theme to them. This way, customers can know what to expect from a business during the course of interactions. 

Branding also has the aspect of understanding yourself. Some of the fundamental branding questions for businesses include:

  • Who are we?
  • What kind of people do we serve?
  • How are we different?
  • What problems do we solve for our customers?

A brand also includes the tone it uses in advertising, newsletters, social media posts, treatment of employees, the company’s community outreach, and all other impressions that the business makes to the public. So, it’s important for a business to establish stuff like the mission of the company, the selling features of their products or services, and the customer base to be targeted. 

Let’s say you run a company that makes beach accessories. Your customers will expect it to have a certain look and feel. Your company may host beach parties, sponsor outdoor water sports events, and let workers wear beach clothes while in the company. The employees may use casual language and explain to people the importance of being in nature. It’s also important for your company to differentiate itself from other companies that make beach accessories. You can talk about the unique services that your company offers to make itself unique. All these activities are part of branding. 

Everything that your business does should be reflected in your branding. Which qualities do you want your company to be associated with? Do you charge higher prices because of niche offerings, or are they lower because your product is mass market? If you establish strong, consistent, and authentic branding, you will retain your customers. 

What is Advertising?

The relationship between your company and your customer starts and ends with your brand. For your business to remain profitable, it has to make sales. An ideal customer will come back to buy your product or service not just because they want the product or service, but because they want to support your brand. That’s why it is of great essence for you to know who your ideal customer is. 

Advertising is the process of spreading awareness about your business. It is part of building your brand and it should reflect the values of your brand. Advertising is also about communicating products and services to a wider audience. It can be done through social media promotions, online advertising campaigns, or local media. Advertising does not target any single individual, but the entire audience. It is a way of convincing a large audience to take a particular action such as making an online purchase, or visiting your store because sales are of great importance to any business. 

An advertisement is a way of requesting a meeting between your company and your ideal customer. There is a big difference between a customer who knows your brand and a customer who doesn’t. It is like the difference between asking a friend to go for coffee with you and asking a stranger. 

So, advertising is a way of getting your company name known to the wider public. After all, no customer will visit your restaurant if they haven’t heard of you. If you are celebrating a milestone or you have a special offer, it is a good time to let the world know about your business. But it is branding that will keep these customers coming back. It tells customers what they can expect from your business. And if you deliver that, you will retain customers for years. 

Traditionally, advertising was difficult due to the lack of proper tools to run advertisements. However, the invention of digital advertising tools has made it easy for businesses to reach a larger number of new and returning customers.  A tool like Latana helps businesses to measure and spread brand awareness for audience and revenue growth. Such tools are also good for segmenting audiences based on their unique characteristics. This helps businesses run customized advertisements to increase the chances of making conversions. 

The Role of Trust in Branding and Advertising

Trust is an important factor in branding and advertising. 

Let us use a scenario to explain the role of trust in branding and advertising. Let’s say you are the brand, your products are cookies, and your friend is the customer. 

Scenario A: You make a call to your friend and request them to come and buy cookies. Your friend is most likely to think that you are only interested in selling, but you (the brand) don’t care about them, their feelings, or experience. There is a big truth in this because you are putting your product and profit before your relationship with them. 

So, what is missing in this case? 

A brand relationship. 

Scenario B: You make a call to your friend and request them to come over for cookies because you want to have a conversation with them and have ample time together. This way, you are cultivating a good relationship between yourself and your friend. It is a clear indication that you are putting the relationship between you and your friend first, hence, they will experience you as a trusted and genuine person (the brand).  

So, you should always consider the different ways that you can use your brand beyond colors or logo design to provide your customers with the experience that they are looking for. After knowing who your ideal customers are and what they are looking for, you can come up with new ways to customize your brand to gain trust from your customers and provide them with what they want. Your brand will then get loyal customers who will keep coming back for more. 

Conclusion

Branding is what a company believes in and how consumers feel about it and its products. It helps businesses promote loyalty and long-term commitment. Customers recognize brands using their visual elements like logo, company name, fonts, tagline, and color scheme. Such elements identify a brand and create an association in the minds of consumers between their desires and the company’s ideals. 

Advertising involves spreading the awareness of a brand to acquire new customers and drive sales. It is normally done through paid campaigns that are customized to reach a target audience through different media including newspapers, social media platforms, television, radio, etc. 

Branding and advertising work together. Branding drives the direction and style of advertising campaigns while advertising enhances brand awareness. 

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Technology & Inovation

Unlocking Talent Why AI is Key to Skills-Based Hiring

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In today’s dynamic job market, traditional career paths are becoming obsolete. Candidates are entering the workforce armed not only with experience but also with a diverse array of skills acquired through self-skilling efforts. This shift has prompted organizations to rethink their talent acquisition strategies, moving away from the outdated focus on qualifications and experience toward a more nuanced understanding of candidate potential through skills-based hiring methods.

Challenges of Skills-Based Hiring

While skills-based hiring offers numerous benefits, such as accessing a wider talent pool, it also presents challenges. The manual process of matching candidate skills to job descriptions is time-consuming and inefficient. Moreover, the influx of applications necessitates significant effort from recruiters to sift through them all.

AI Revolutionizes Talent Acquisition

  • Harnessing AI: Revolutionizing Talent Acquisition in Skills-Based Hiring: Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerges as a powerful ally in navigating the complexities of skills-based hiring. By leveraging AI, organizations can expedite the candidate selection process, identify suitable candidates more efficiently, and enhance internal mobility by leveraging existing employee data.

Mitigating Hiring Mistakes

For organizations that rely on temporary or contingent workers, AI offers a valuable tool for mitigating costly hiring mistakes. By reducing misclassifications and streamlining administrative tasks, AI enhances the efficiency and accuracy of talent acquisition processes.

  • Maximizing Efficiency: AI’s Role in Reducing Hiring Mistakes: By leveraging AI’s capabilities, recruiters can minimize errors in candidate selection and streamline administrative tasks, ultimately improving the quality and efficiency of the hiring process.

The Role of AI in Streamlining Administrative Tasks

AI not only facilitates candidate screening but also streamlines various administrative tasks associated with the hiring process. From scheduling interviews to managing candidate communications, AI-powered tools can automate repetitive tasks, allowing recruiters to focus on more strategic aspects of talent acquisition.

  • Automating Administrative Tasks: AI-powered tools can automate repetitive administrative tasks such as resume screening, scheduling interviews, and sending follow-up communications. This frees up recruiters’ time, allowing them to focus on building relationships with candidates and making more informed hiring decisions.

Enhancing Candidate Experience

In addition to improving efficiency for recruiters, AI can also enhance the candidate experience throughout the hiring process. By leveraging AI-driven chatbots and personalized communication tools, organizations can provide candidates with timely updates, answer their queries promptly, and create a positive impression of the company’s recruitment process.

  • Personalized Communication: AI-powered chatbots can engage with candidates in real time, providing them with personalized updates on their application status and answering frequently asked questions. This proactive communication demonstrates the organization’s commitment to candidate experience and can significantly impact candidates’ perceptions of the company.

Addressing Bias in Hiring

One of the key challenges in talent acquisition is addressing unconscious bias in the hiring process. AI can play a crucial role in mitigating bias by standardizing candidate evaluation criteria, minimizing human judgment in initial screening stages, and providing data-driven insights into hiring decisions.

  • Mitigating Unconscious Bias: AI algorithms can be trained to evaluate candidates based on objective criteria, reducing the influence of unconscious bias in the hiring process. By standardizing evaluation criteria and focusing on job-related competencies, AI helps ensure fair and equitable treatment of all candidates.

Continual Development of AI

While AI has made significant strides in recent years, it remains an evolving technology. Recruiters must continuously monitor and review AI systems‘ data sets to ensure relevance and address biases. Additionally, while AI aids in initial candidate screening, human judgment remains essential for making final hiring decisions.

  • Evolving Strategies: AI’s Continual Impact on Skills-Based Hiring Practices: As AI technology evolves, recruiters must adapt their strategies to harness their full potential while maintaining the integrity of the hiring process.

Conclusion

In the era of skills-based hiring, AI emerges as a valuable tool for organizations seeking to unlock talent and streamline recruitment processes. By leveraging AI’s capabilities, recruiters can identify suitable candidates more efficiently, reduce hiring mistakes, and adapt to the evolving landscape of the job market. However, it’s essential to view AI as a partner rather than a replacement, recognizing the continued importance of human judgment in the hiring process. With AI’s continual development and integration into talent acquisition processes, organizations can stay ahead in the competitive hiring landscape while fostering a more inclusive and efficient recruitment experience for candidates and recruiters alike.

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Technology & Inovation

Unlocking the World of eLearning Content Development

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In today’s fast-paced digital age, the demand for online learning has skyrocketed. Whether it’s for educational purposes or professional development, eLearning has become the go-to choice for many. But have you ever wondered about the process behind creating those engaging eLearning courses? Welcome to the world of eLearning content development, where creativity meets technology to deliver impactful learning experiences.

What is eLearning Content Development? eLearning content development involves the creation of digital learning materials, such as courses, modules, videos, quizzes, and interactive activities, to be delivered through online platforms. It aims to provide learners with engaging, accessible, and effective educational resources that can be accessed anytime, anywhere.

The Importance of eLearning Content Development:

  • Accessibility: Allows learners to access educational materials remotely, breaking down geographical barriers.
  • Flexibility: Provides flexibility in learning pace and style, accommodating diverse learning needs.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Reduces costs associated with traditional classroom-based training, such as travel and venue expenses.
  • Scalability: Enables easy distribution of content to a large number of learners simultaneously.
  • Interactivity: Incorporates multimedia elements to enhance engagement and retention.

Steps in eLearning Content Development:

  1. Needs Analysis: Identify the learning objectives, target audience, and their learning preferences.
  2. Content Outline: Create a structured outline outlining the topics, subtopics, and learning activities.
  3. Storyboarding: Develop a visual representation of the course flow, including text, images, and interactions.
  4. Content Creation: Produce the actual learning materials, such as slides, videos, documents, and assessments.
  5. Quality Assurance: Review and test the content for accuracy, functionality, and user experience.
  6. Deployment: Publish the eLearning course on the chosen platform for learners to access.

Comparing eLearning Authoring Tools:

ToolFeaturesPriceUser-Friendly
Articulate 360Interactive templates$$$Yes
Adobe CaptivateAdvanced interactivity$$$Moderate
CamtasiaVideo editing capabilities$$Yes
MoodleOpen-source platformFreeYes

FAQs:

  1. What skills are required for eLearning content development?
    • Proficiency in instructional design
    • Knowledge of eLearning authoring tools
    • Multimedia production skills (e.g., graphic design, video editing)
  2. How long does it take to develop an eLearning course?
    • The timeline varies depending on factors such as course complexity and available resources. However, it can typically take several weeks to months to develop a comprehensive eLearning course.
  3. How do you ensure learner engagement in eLearning courses?
    • Incorporate interactive elements such as quizzes, simulations, and branching scenarios.
    • Use multimedia content like videos, animations, and infographics to enhance engagement.
    • Provide opportunities for social learning through discussion forums and collaboration activities.

Conclusion: eLearning content development plays a crucial role in modern education and training. By following a systematic approach and leveraging the right tools and techniques, educators and instructional designers can create compelling online learning experiences that meet the needs of today’s learners. So, whether you’re a seasoned professional or a newbie in the field, dive into the world of eLearning content development and unlock the potential of digital learning.

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Enhancing Video Experience: Google Chrome for Android to Soon Enable Frame Extraction

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In a significant stride towards enhancing user experience, Google Chrome for Android is gearing up to introduce the feature of extracting frames from videos. This development brings forth a convenient method to copy and save frames directly from videos, streamlining tasks such as sharing captivating moments or incorporating them into creative projects.

Introduction

Google Chrome for Desktop has long provided users with the ability to extract frames from videos, facilitating diverse applications ranging from content creation to personal archiving. This feature enables users to effortlessly capture stills from videos, empowering them with greater flexibility in multimedia usage.

Expanding Accessibility: Google Chrome for Android

Now, Google is extending this functionality to its mobile platform, Android. This means that soon, Android users will be able to enjoy the convenience of extracting frames from videos directly within the Chrome browser on their devices.

How It Works

Utilizing this feature is a simple process, designed to be intuitive for users of all levels:

  • Right-click on the video within Google Chrome for Desktop.
  • Select either the ‘Copy video frame’ or ‘Save video frame as’ option.
  • The selected frame is then copied to the clipboard or saved on the device, ready for further use.

Transition to Mobile: A Sneak Peek

A recent post on X/Twitter by @Leopeva64 sheds light on Google’s efforts to integrate frame extraction capabilities into Chrome for Android. A commit in Gerrit reveals ongoing work towards enabling users to copy or save frames from videos directly on their mobile devices.

Future Prospects

Upon implementation, Chrome for Android may present users with options to copy or save frames when long-pressing on a video. However, Google emphasizes caution by marking the feature as disabled until it receives final approval. This suggests that the feature might initially debut in the beta version of the browser, followed by a public release after thorough testing.

FAQs

  1. What is frame extraction? Frame extraction involves capturing still images from a video, allowing users to preserve specific moments.
  2. Can this feature be used for any video? Yes, users can extract frames from any video accessible within Google Chrome for Android.
  3. Will this feature consume additional device storage? Saving frames may require minimal storage space, depending on the resolution and format of the extracted images.

Conclusion

The upcoming integration of frame extraction capabilities into Google Chrome for Android marks a significant advancement in mobile browsing. This feature promises to empower users with greater control over multimedia content, facilitating seamless sharing and creative endeavors. As Google continues to innovate, it sets a precedent for enhanced functionality across web browsers, inspiring other developers to follow suit.

Note to Samsung and Microsoft

Considering the potential benefits of frame extraction, we hope to see similar functionalities integrated into other popular web browsers such as Samsung Internet and Microsoft Edge. Embracing such features would undoubtedly enrich the browsing experience for users across various platforms.

In conclusion, the imminent arrival of frame extraction in Google Chrome for Android heralds a new era of multimedia accessibility and creativity on mobile devices. Stay tuned for updates as Google prepares to unveil this exciting feature to users worldwide.

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