Branding and Advertising: Which comes first?
Yes, we mean “and”, not versus, either/or, good/bad. When used correctly, brand design and advertising work together to build a brand’s reputation with consumer experiences that develop brand loyalty. Similar to the age-old question, which comes first, the chicken or the egg?
Design informs and establishes brand value; advertising persuades and sells the established value. At Mitre we look at it like this: Your brand is your house. Design is the framework and the foundation: steadfast and true, consistently telling the same story. Advertising is the interior decorations: builds on the existing framework to draw attention and interest. It has the ability to change within the framework of the house.
As we are all painfully aware, consumers have more reasons than ever to ignore a brand. The communication channels are vast. Consumers want transparency and experiences relevant to them as individuals– they want to feel a connection to the brands they love and support. Executing mass messages is no longer as effective as it once was.
Scientists still aren’t sure if the chicken or egg came first. But, when it comes to branding, we do believe that to create and maintain a strong brand, brand design should precede advertising and remain a constant element. Brand design creates long-term relationships with consumers by creating an experience. There’s nothing gimmicky about that.