Many people use the terms marketing and advertising in the same context and interchangeably when in fact they are very different. Understanding the difference between marketing and advertising is essential to keeping focused and organized on your path to success.
The simplest way to distinguish between advertising and marketing is to recognize that they are different things. Marketing is a comprehensive plan designed to facilitate interaction between company and consumer. Incorporated within the marketing plan are different components; advertising is one of those components. A marketing plan may have many other components as well. These may include market research, media planning, public relations, product pricing, distribution, customer support, sales strategy, community involvement and much more. All of the components of any marketing plan are designed to work together towards a common goal. The marketing plan itself defines the process that makes the integration of components effective and keeps its users focused on the goal.
Advertising: Is a message; the message is a persuasive announcement or presentation by the sponsor to existing and potential customers.
Marketing: Is the systematic planning and implementation of activities specifically intended to bring buyers and sellers together.
