What makes a brand?
If it is agreed that branding is about physical, mental, and emotional connect/association of a product/service with its target audience, then is it easier to brand online or offline, is a query that begs consideration.
The question is: which half?
When it comes to offline, we are talking about print, tv, exhibitions, etc as the vehicle, or rather media that addresses the masses. The medium that speaks to the largest section of the target group is considered to be the best and therefore, selected. The image or message that the product/service conveys is consumed by the masses, and most often, it is a singular message or a unified one, that goes through. Often called, single-mindedness. Undoubtedly, mass media has the disadvantage of spill-over, where the message reaches outside the target group, which led to the famous saying, by John Wanamaker: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.”
Online is one-on-one and more personalised.
Online is a different ball game altogether as it is a one-on-one platform. A tweet about the speed or price offered by a marketer tends to position that company for its speed or price and may not provide a holistic brand image. It tends to get attribute-driven. Also online has limited capacity in creating a buzz or generating word-of-mouth publicity, which is not as powerful compared to addressing the masses offline. Hence mass media or offline, scores for better branding. Online can be best used for promotions and other tactics on a one-to-one basis, where there is also the feel of personalization.
Offline for brand launches.
A product or service is best launched on the main or mass media, which creates that hype or aura. The online medium is not too well equipped for such launches. But if it comes to crisis management, then online where the message can be tailored to individual needs, works best.
A marketer who uses a mix of both, online and offline, according to objective, can be assured not only of success, but budget optimisation.
End of the day, it depends on the right platform selection.
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