What is the difference between marketing and communication? The terms “marketing” and “communication” are often incorrectly used interchangeably. However, although they are indeed related, they do not refer to the same concepts at all.
Lack of culture on the part of companies and professionals in the field or poor use of terms by authors… The reasons behind this confusion are numerous. Some experts have also noted that this confusion has spread widely since the big brands have had the habit of entrusting marketing and communication to a single team, department or service.
What is the difference between marketing and communication? Marketing and communication services both contribute to increasing demand, but their purpose and composition are very different. But where is the distinction between these activities? This is the question we will answer in this article.
What is Marketing?
Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and profitably satisfying customer needs. It is also a management discipline that ensures that producers of goods and services can know what consumers want and know how to satisfy them.
In addition, marketing is also involved in guiding companies in product development, customer identification, communication, pricing, brand development, choice of distribution channels and many more. .
It can be said that the marketing process is central to the business performance of companies large and small, as it addresses the most important aspects of the market. Finally, marketing is about understanding the competitive market and ensuring you can exploit key trends, reaching consumers with the right product at the right price, in the right place, at the right time.
Clever marketing has led to many business successes. Conversely, history reminds us that without proper marketing, you can’t get closer to customers and meet their needs – and if you can’t, a competitor will certainly do it for you.
Communication, one of the elements of marketing
Communication is an element, component or even a subfield of marketing, which is a much broader discipline. As such, it is also part of a company’s marketing strategy.
For a company, the main objective of communication is to make its products/services known, to reach potential customers, to convince and retain customers and to gain notoriety.
Several communication channels can be used by companies to achieve these different objectives. These include brochures, flyers, emails, advertisements, websites, social media, signage, sales promotions and campaigns, exhibitions, personal selling, press releases, sending SMS and many more.
When you call on a communication agency, you trust experts capable of finding the best possible combination of these communication channels according to the messages to be transmitted and the marketing objectives to be achieved.
Markets obey the rules of supply and demand, the company offers an offer that necessarily meets a specific need, communication will help you to make your offer better known on the markets.
Communication is therefore a promotional tool necessary for the growth of any commercial enterprise, and it sometimes includes marketing operations.
Marketing and communication, a difference in their field of action
We can also see marketing and communication as related areas of business. However, they are not identical. While marketing refers to the broad concept of developing strategies to satisfy and reach customers with attractive products and messages, communication is the subfield of marketing that consists of designing messages that are adapted and impactful with the channels. the most appropriate means of communication and at the most opportune times.
Marketing and communication have other major differences. Here are some of the most common:
- In marketing, the purpose is always to promote the company and the products by means of various strategies, which are simply called marketing strategies. Communication is an integral part of the execution of marketing strategies, although it is not the only one.
- Typically, the marketing team is tasked with designing and overseeing advertising, public relations, or communications and promotion. The communication team, for its part, is responsible for disseminating the messages it has designed, but decided upon beforehand by the marketing team.
- Marketers usually rely on numbers which everything they do (eg measuring and analyzing the right price, quantity of products to sell… Communication specialists, on the other hand, basically focus on They are only concerned with writing catchphrases that will convince and engage prospects and customers.
- For marketing objectives to be achieved, marketers observe the various points that fall under customer behaviors such as customer visits, inquiries, email open rates, click-through rates , overall purchase rates… Communication teams, for their part, attach more importance to the attitude of customers towards their company’s brand.
Marketing Agency Vs Communication Agency
Another way to distinguish between these two terms is to understand the differences between the services offered by a marketing agency and those of a communication agency.
Both types of agencies aim for the same end value, that of increasing turnover. However, the process, focus and implementation are very different.
What is the role of a marketing agency?
The primary role of a marketing agency involves a systemic process of strategy, planning, development and implementation of activities that meet the business needs of their clients.
It solves problems and minimizes limitations a business may face, develops innovative ideas and introduces new opportunities for growth. She is also responsible for increasing brand awareness, generating leads from the target market and increasing conversion opportunities.
Typically, industries of all sizes and types will approach a marketing agency if they are looking to:
- Launch a new product on the market;
- Introduce an existing product to a new market;
- Develop a marketing plan;
- Establish new strategies;
- Identify growth opportunities;
- Build market share;
- Increase leads;
- Or increase sales conversions.
While marketing services are comprehensive, they also cover market research, marketing strategy, marketing planning, marketing communications and everything in between.
What is the role of a communication agency
A communication agency, unlike a communication agency, usually does not cover so much depth and breadth, because communication is only one part of marketing.
Communications professionals specialize in designing persuasive messages, media buying and media planning, choosing the communication medium (such as magazine, newspaper, television, digital media, or brochure) that should be used to maximizing reach potential as well as managing ad placement and frequency.
If a business goes to a communications agency, it should already know who its customers and market are, while looking for ways to effectively target its audience. This assumes that a marketing study must have been done upstream.
Common communication tools include television, radio, print media (magazines, newspapers), online advertising (social media, Google AdWords). Another peculiarity of the communication agency, it will often be very creative in its thoughts, ideas and design elements.
Author Antonio Rodriguez Publisher and Director of Clever Technologies