The role of advertising in branding

To many marketers, advertising is the way that they lead into brand building.

This is always the wrong choice.

The reasons that advertising is not effective for brand building are many, but the most important reasons are:

• Its expensive
• Gaining traction from advertising without a strong brand is difficult
• Can’t really be used to build leadership, only to maintain it

With that in mind, advertising can do several extremely valuable things for your brand.

Here are 3:

1. Maintains leadership:

If you have been great about establishing yourself as first in a market or a leader in a market, advertising is a key weapon in your ability to maintain that advantage.

2. Advertising puts your competitors in a tough position:

Because of the cost of advertising, using it can put your competitors in a tough position. Especially when you are at a competitive advantage or considered the leader.

3. Advertising can protect your brand’s reputation:

Because of the nature of advertising, you can use it to protect your brands’ reputation and image by dubbing yourself a “leader” or “first” or “number 1.”

These all are tough for your competitors to fight back from.