I/- The marketing-branding difference: a confusion that truly needs to stop 🛑
I’ve spent the last few years watching LinkedIn (and other social media platforms) transform into a battleground of truly confusing definitions. One type of post in particular has caught my attention and has now become, I believe, a real source of confusion in the marketing field.
American Marketing Association (AMA)
“Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value.”
This isn’t just another new definition you skim before quickly scrolling away!
📝This definition positions marketing as the fundamental discipline resulting from academic rigor, decades of research and sustained economic & financial development.
However, you only need to scroll through the LinkedIn news feed or TikTok “marketing tips videos” to see that we have now reached a point where marketing is treated as if it were interchangeable with branding… or worse… subordinate to it.😖
II/- Why I’m writing this?
The MartechMag was created partly because of this problem: the proliferation of content that treats marketing and its theoretical foundations as if they were malleable… stretch it here, compress it there.. redefine that definition or that concept according to current trends..
But at some point, we must respect and acknowledge that this discipline was born from SERIOUS RESEARCH and rigorous academic studies.
Marketing as it is taught in universities today is not a set of tactics that can be changed, nor a group of definitions that can be decided upon at will. It’s a BOK (a true BODY OF KNOWLEDGE) whose main principles must be respected from the outset.
The comparison between marketing and branding keeps appearing as though we’re discussing equivalent disciplines with overlapping territories.
We’re not!
III/- The structural & theoretical reality
Think about these comparisons:
- Packaging VS logistics.
- Language VS strategic communication.
- UI (user interface) VS system architecture.
One operates within the scope of the other. The relationship isn’t reciprocal.↔️
Marketing establishes the framework, it’s the overarching discipline: It defines value creation, identifies markets, structures offers, manages exchanges…
Branding operates within that framework: It builds meaning, shapes identity and influences perception.
!!The theoretical hierarchy isn’t ambiguous nor unclear!!
Philip Kotler, whose “Marketing Management” has educated generations of marketers, described marketing as
“the science and art of exploring, creating, and delivering value to satisfy the needs of a target market at a profit.”
That means everything from market analysis to value delivery.
Where does branding fit?
As Kotler himself noted, branding is one element of product strategy, which itself sits within the larger marketing mix.
IV/- Marketing without Branding: Can marketing exist without branding?
A bold YES! ✅
Here’s an example :
A construction company buys 100 tons of sand from a local supplier. The decision is based on price, availability, location, quality and delivery. No brand is mentioned, no logo, no identity, no branding campaign, no branding strategy.
Yet, marketing is fully present and mandatory: negotiation, contract management, logistical optimization, supplier selection and quality monitoring.
V/- Can branding exist without marketing?
NO!❌ Quite simply.. 🙅
And this isn’t me trying to be provocative.. It’s not my opinion, far from it.
It’s a fundamental principle of marketing.
David Aaker, who literally wrote the book on brand equity in 1991, “Managing Brand Equity,” framed his model within what he called “strategic brand analysis.”
This analysis requires a deep understanding of customers, competitors and self-analysis. So before even starting any branding work, a marketer has already answered these questions:
- Who constitutes the target market? => Market segmentation => Marketing.
- What problem do we need to solve? => Needs analysis => Marketing.
- What value do we offer? Value proposition => Marketing.
- How do we compare to the alternatives? Competitive positioning => Marketing.
- What is our value for money? Pricing strategy => You guessed it… still marketing!
- Then comes branding! => ALSO MARKETING.
Branding is simply a strategic marketing activity, just like segmentation, targeting or positioning. It doesn’t exist outside of marketing and conceptually separating it would be like separating segmentation or positioning from marketing… which makes no sense.
VI/- Conclusion
Marketing can exist without branding. History proves it. Current markets demonstrate it. Theory explains it.
Branding, on the other hand, cannot exist without marketing. It requires markets, offerings, exchanges, audiences and a competitive environment.. all aspects of marketing.
And I’m not minimizing the importance of branding here.. Strong brands create considerable value. We’re talking billions of dollars. Brand equity is real and significant. But it’s a marketing outcome, not a marketing alternative.
The sooner we stop viewing these disciplines as competitors or equivalents, the sooner we can focus on the most interesting question: how can marketing and branding collaborate most effectively?
That is the essential debate and a conversation worth having.
Happy New Year, by the way! 🎉
2026 is shaping up to be an exciting year for The MartechMag! Stay tuned for many surprises and insights coming your way.
Racha Aissaoui – The MartechMag Founder
