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We’re lucky, here in Aberdeenshire, to be surrounded in such stunning nature. The ancient pines and the yews that were already standing when the first towns around them were being built. Trees that have survived centuries of storms, droughts, harsh winters, forest fires and everything else the Scottish climate (and, ahem, humanity) has thrown at them.
But they don’t survive because of how they look – they survive because of how deep their roots go.
The roots are an incredible system, growing long, woven and strong so that everything above the soil can thrive.
Those of you who know us, know exactly where we’re going with this! It’s because this is how we think about branding and marketing.
Why they choose you
Your brand is the root system. It’s underground, behind the scenes, but it determines everything, what do you stand for, what’s your identity? It’s the carefully considered strategy, the consistency and the emotional connection built over time.
Together, this is what creates the feeling that someone gets when they land on your website, read your proposal or scroll across your social media.
Just like those towering trees, branding isn’t an overnight job, it’s built slowly through behaviour and tended to carefully.
How people choose you
Marketing is all the glory you see above the ground – the impressive trunk, the branches and leaves, the beautiful flowers. The part people see and are drawn towards! It’s your social media presence, email newsletters, advertising, PR, content strategy, SEO and campaigns. Marketing is active and always moving and if done well, it’s getting in front of the right people at the right time.
But here’s what the canopy can’t do on its own, it can’t make up for weak roots. A marketing campaign built on unclear positioning will struggle with inconsistent results.
The canopy needs roots to feed it, and that’s not just a pretty metaphor – it’s how this works.
We often speak to business owners and managers whose marketing isn’t delivering the results it should be, and the instinct is often to blame or change the marketing – a new agency, new platform or adding to the spend. And sometimes that’s right but more often, it’s not the marketing – it’s the branding, the root system, that hasn’t been given enough attention.
The messaging is muddy, the positioning is too broad and the brand isn’t communicating who it’s for, what it stands for or why someone should choose them over their next competitor. The marketing (however well executed!) is working harder than it should be, with less to show for it.
A strong brand with weak marketing means nobody can find you, and marketing without a strong brand means you’ll look impressive until the strong winds rise. The two aren’t in competition, they’re both essential to flourish, but the roots need to come first.
We’ve been around for more than 20 years, long enough to know what the root work looks like and what happens when it’s done properly. If you’re not sure whether your business needs to focus on brand or marketing right now, our Discovery Session is the best place to start. It’s a free 2 hour chat about your business and how we can help (yep, we always begin with the roots!)
Book yours at instinctmarketingpr.com/discovery
