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The differences between branding, marketing and advertising can be confusing. The terms are increasingly used interchangeably, which only adds to the confusion. All three are important, but for different reasons. So what is the difference between branding, marketing and advertising?

How well do your customers know you? Not just your brand but YOU … you as a person? How much do you share of your personal life, not only on social media, but in person? And are those messages consistent?

While the traditional methods of promoting events are still valid, social media has proven to be an incredibly powerful tool to fire up event attendance. The results are impressive considering the cost of advertising on social media, especially when compared to more traditional methods of advertising.

When a consumer buys a brand, it’s an act of trust. When you consistently deliver on your brand promise, you complete the circle of trust. It’s really that simple. If you don’t deliver on your promise, your customer won’t feel confident with your brand, and they won’t be a customer much longer.

Standing out in a crowded market can be quite a challenge. This is especially true in a parity market where everyone seems to offer and claim the same things. However, if you can identify and develop a strong brand identity, you’ll soon be on your way. You just have to keep in mind certain branding essentials…

How satisfied are your customers? Are they as satisfied with your product or service as they were at this time last year? How does your level of customer satisfaction compare with that of your top competitors?

As a marketer, there are a lot of ways to take advantage of this new technology. It helps to be inspired by what others are doing. Here are just a few.

Sparks flew at the 49th Annual American Advertising Awards in Cedar Rapids this weekend when MindFire was recognized with a total of 15 Addy awards. Awards included one judge’s choice, three best in category, six gold and five silver awards.

If you’re annoyed by all the bad TV commercials out there, you should be. Just about everyone else is annoyed by them, too. Sadly, there’s probably no quicker way to lower brand perception than creating low-budget TV spots. When was the last time you hired a lawyer who had TV commercials? Yep, never.

Music can create a powerful, nuanced emotional state. It can communicate feelings in a particular moment, the mood of a scene or the overall spot's tone. And it does it in a way that’s impossible with any other tools.

Are there any brands you just can’t live without? Brands that make your world a better place because they seem to understand what you want and consistently deliver the experiences you crave?

This month we are grilling one of our newer Arsonists, Jennifer Sautter! Jen is a seasoned vet when it comes to agency work. She’s been in the field for many years and is a pro at identifying the marketing tactics to fire up your brand. Can she stand the heat to be grilled??