What’s the Difference Between Marketing and Advertising?

People often ask, “What’s the difference between marketing and advertising? Aren’t they the same thing?” Well, not exactly.

Let’s look at the famous Progressive Insurance commercial campaign "Stop you from becoming your parents.”

The advertiser first used marketing to research their audience and found that young home buyers needed guidance to avoid making the same mistakes that their parents made.

Then, they used advertising to sell this idea to their target audience. A "parental life coach” character was created to help stop common and quirky parent behaviors that young homeowners might find themselves adopting.

Marketing is about finding what the customer needs. Advertising is about selling a product or service based on their needs.

As a full-service advertising agency and marketing firm, Octagon Media understands the entire process. Let us help your brand.