THE MIX-UP THAT COSTS REAL MONEY
Say the word “marketing” at a family barbecue and Uncle Tony will nod, “Ah, like them radio ads.”
Say “advertising” in a board-room and someone will answer, “Sure, our whole marketing plan.”
We all do it—swap the words like they’re twins. They’re not.
Mixing them up doesn’t just create confusion; it quietly drains budgets, time, and trust.
Let’s end the mix-up once and for all, in plain English, with pictures you can actually draw on a napkin.
CHAPTER 1 – WHAT IS MARKETING, REALLY?
Think of marketing as everything you do to understand people, earn their trust, and make them glad they found you.
It starts long before you shout, “Buy now!”
Marketing is:
- Choosing who you want to serve (your tribe)
- Listening to their pains, dreams, and words
- Shaping a product, service, or message that fits those needs
- Deciding how much it costs, how people get it, and how you’ll keep promises
- Showing up consistently so the right people remember you on the day they finally need you
If business were a road trip, marketing is the map, the fuel gauge, and the playlist that keeps everyone happy.
Skip it and you drive fast in the dark—burning gas, scaring passengers, arriving nowhere.
CHAPTER 2 – WHAT IS ADVERTISING, THEN?
Advertising is one slice of marketing.
It’s the paid, public, “Hey, look over here!” moment.
Billboards, Instagram reels, radio jingles, pre-roll YouTube videos, flyers under the windshield—if you paid to appear, it’s advertising.
Good advertising takes the story marketing wrote and puts it on the brightest stage you can afford.
But a loud spotlight on an empty stage only shows the cracks.
CHAPTER 3 – THE 90-YARD METAPHOR
Picture a 100-yard football field.
- The first 90 yards are marketing: research, branding, pricing, packaging, customer journey, referrals, reputation.
- The last 10 yards are advertising: the sprint that gets the ball into the end-zone for immediate visibility.
Run the last 10 without the first 90 and you’ll crash into the opponent’s defence—aka sceptical shoppers, ad-blockers, and sky-high costs.
CHAPTER 4 – SIDE-BY-SIDE, PLAIN AND SIMPLE
| Aspect | Marketing | Advertising |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Build lasting relationships | Spark quick attention |
| Timeline | Months to years | Days to weeks |
| Cost trend | Front-loaded, compounds | Ongoing, stops when you stop paying |
| Success feels like | I’ve heard good things about you for ages. | I saw you everywhere this week. |
| Tools | Surveys, branding, story, service tweaks, emails, SEO, community | Paid posts, TV spots, banners, sponsorships |
| Failure look-like | Crickets, price haggling, one-time buyers | Clicks but no sales, ‘Who are you again?’ |
CHAPTER 5 – WHY SMART BRANDS NEVER SKIP THE LINE
Jumping straight to ads feels heroic.
You boost a post, watch numbers climb, high-five the team.
Two weeks later the same post dies.
What happened? The queue was skipped.
People didn’t trust the stranger shouting; they needed earlier touches—helpful blog posts, friendly reviews, a website that doesn’t crash on mobile.
Marketing is the polite queue that earns you the right to speak. Cut it, and the market sends you to the back.
CHAPTER 6 – HOW THEY DANCE TOGETHER (THE HAPPY MARRIAGE)
Step 1 – Marketing listens: surveys, reviews, chat logs.
Step 2 – Marketing crafts the promise: “Fresh sushi delivered in 15 minutes or it’s free.”
Step 3 – Advertising shouts that promise on city-light boxes at 11 p.m.—just when late-night hunger strikes.
Step 4 – Marketing watches delivery data, refines packaging, trains drivers.
Step 5 – Advertising re-shouts the improved promise, this time with a photo of a smiling driver handing over sushi at minute 14.
Round and round they go—each spin cheaper, smoother, louder in the right ears.
CHAPTER 7 – A 5-SENTENCE CASE YOU’LL REMEMBER
Bakery owner Laura paid for flyers: “Cakes sold here!”—few takers.
She paused, asked brides about wedding stress, learned “Will it look Instagram-perfect?” was the fear.
Marketing tweak: created a behind-the-scenes reel showing her sketching lace patterns.
Advertising push: $100 boosted post targeting newly-engaged locals, headline “From sketch to altar in seven days—see the cake magic.”
Bookings tripled, no extra ad spend needed for six months—photos of her cakes now do the advertising for free.
CHAPTER 8 – DO-IT-YOURSELF CHECKLIST (NO JARGON, WE PROMISE)
Before you pay for a single ad, can you tick these?
☐ I can describe my customer’s problems
☐ I’ve written, in plain words, why we’re different and better.
☐ At least three past customers said they’d happily recommend us.
☐ I have a simple way to collect emails or phone numbers for follow-up.
Tick all four? Buy the spotlight. Otherwise, keep gardening.
CHAPTER 9 – THE BIG TAKEAWAY TO TWEET, TELL, OR TAPE TO YOUR MONITOR
Marketing plants the seed, advertising shows the flower
Plant first, then point. Never the other way around.
CONCLUSION – FORGE, THEN AMPLIFY
Advertising gets the applause, but marketing writes the song.
Spend time on the lyrics—the story, the service, the small surprises that make people feel at home.
Once the song is stuck in their heads, crank up the volume.
Do that, and your business won’t just be seen; it’ll be remembered, sung along with, and shared—long after the spotlight moves elsewhere.
So before you buy the billboard, bake the cake, or boost the post, ask the humble question marketing always whispers:
“Have we earned the right to be heard?”
Answer yes, and shout away. Answer no, and enjoy the quiet work of forging something worth shouting about tomorrow.
Ready to shape your brand’s next chapter?
Contact us today and discover how marketing strategy and storytelling can drive real results for your business.