Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

The Branding & Marketing Agency Glossary

Navigating the world of branding and marketing agencies can sometimes feel like learning a new language. Whether you're reviewing a proposal, discussing strategy, or working on a project, understanding key terms is essential. This glossary provides clear definitions of commonly used terms in branding and marketing agencies to help you stay informed and make confident decisions.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

A

  • Above the Line (ATL): Traditional advertising channels like television, radio, print (newspapers, magazines), and cinema. ATL aims for broad reach.
  • Account Management: The process of managing the relationship between the agency and the client, ensuring smooth communication, project delivery, and client satisfaction.
  • Acquisition Cost (CAC): The total cost an agency spends to acquire a new customer.
  • Ad Campaign: A structured series of advertisements with a shared objective and theme, run across various channels over a specific period.
  • Agency of Record (AOR): A marketing or advertising agency that a company designates as its primary agency.
  • Analytics: The process of collecting, analysing, and interpreting data to measure the performance of marketing campaigns and website activity, providing insights for optimisation.
  • Assets: The collective resources (design files, brand guidelines, copy documents, etc.) created and used in marketing and branding efforts.
  • Attribution: Identifying which marketing touchpoints or channels are responsible for driving conversions or sales.
  • Actionable: Strategies or recommendations that can be implemented immediately.
  • Added Value: Additional benefits or services provided beyond the basic offering.
  • Approved: The correct term to use when approving budgets, artwork, or other key project elements. Avoid vague language like "looks good" or "okay with me." Using "approved" provides clarity and ensures accountability.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

B

  • Below the Line (BTL): More targeted and direct marketing activities such as direct mail, email marketing, public relations, sponsorships, and point-of-sale displays.
  • Brand Architecture: The structure of brands within an organisational entity.
  • Brand Audit: A comprehensive assessment of a brand's current position in the market, including its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
  • Brand Awareness: The extent to which consumers are familiar with a particular brand.
  • Brand Guidelines: A document outlining a brand's identity, including its logo, colour palette, typography, voice, and style guide.
  • Brand Equity: The value of a brand, based on consumer perception, loyalty, and recognition.
  • Brand Identity: The visual and verbal elements that represent a brand, including its logo, colour palette, typography, and messaging.
  • Brand Positioning: Defining where a brand sits in the market relative to its competitors, focusing on its unique value proposition and target audience.
  • Brand Strategy: A long-term plan for the development of a successful brand to achieve specific goals.
  • Brief: A document outlining the objectives, target audience, key message, and other essential information for a marketing or creative project.
  • Bespoke: Custom-tailored solutions designed specifically for a client.
  • Benchmarking: Comparing performance against industry standards or competitors.
  • Budget: The allocated financial resources for a project, campaign, or initiative, ensuring costs are managed effectively within the approved limits.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

C

  • Call to Action (CTA): A prompt that encourages a specific action from the audience, such as "Learn More," "Buy Now," or "Contact Us."
  • Campaign: A coordinated set of marketing activities designed to achieve a specific objective.
  • Content Marketing: Creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage a target audience.
  • Conversion: When a user completes a desired action, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing to a newsletter.
  • Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO): The process of improving a website or landing page to increase the percentage of visitors who convert.
  • Copywriting: The art of writing persuasive and engaging content for marketing and advertising purposes.
  • Creative Assets: Visual and textual elements, like images, videos, and ad copy, used in marketing campaigns.
  • Competitive Advantage: Unique selling points that set a brand apart from competitors.
  • Cost-Effective: Providing good value for money spent.
  • CVP (Customer Value Proposition): A clear statement that explains how a product or service solves a customer’s problem, what benefits it provides, and why it is better than the competition.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

D

  • Deliverables: The tangible outputs of a project, such as a website, a marketing campaign, or a brand identity.
  • Digital Marketing: Marketing activities conducted through online channels, such as search engines, social media, email, and websites.
  • Discovery Phase: The initial stage of a project where the agency conducts research, gathers information, and defines the project's scope and objectives.
  • Due Diligence: Thorough research and analysis conducted before making recommendations.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

E

  • Engagement: The level of interaction and connection that consumers have with a brand, often measured through social media likes, comments, and shares.
  • Estimated Timeline: Projected schedule for completing various stages of the project.
  • Execution Plan: Detailed strategy for implementing proposed solutions.
  • EVP (Employee Value Proposition): A set of benefits and rewards that an organisation offers to its employees in exchange for their skills and commitment. It defines what makes the company a great place to work.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

F

  • Focus Group: A small group of people brought together to discuss a particular product, service, or marketing campaign.
  • Fixed Fee: A set price for the entire project, regardless of time spent.
  • Flexible Pricing: Pricing options that can be adjusted based on client needs or budget.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

G

Go-to-Market Strategy (GTM): A plan that outlines how a company will launch a new product or service to reach its target market.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

I

  • Inbound Marketing: A marketing strategy focused on attracting customers through valuable content and experiences tailored to them.
  • Insights: Actionable understandings gained through the analysis of data.
  • Integrated Marketing: A marketing approach that combines various channels and tactics to deliver a consistent brand message and customer experience.
  • Implementation Strategy: Plan for putting proposed ideas into action.
  • Investment: The financial commitment required for the project, often used instead of "cost."

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

K

  • Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives.
  • Key Differentiators: Unique aspects of your agency that set you apart from competitors.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

M

  • Milestone: Significant points or stages in the project timeline.
  • Measurable Outcomes: Specific, quantifiable results expected from the project.
  • Marketing Automation: Using software to automate repetitive marketing tasks, such as email marketing, social media posting, and lead nurturing.
  • Messaging: The key ideas and language used to communicate a brand's value proposition to its target audience.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

O

  • Objectives: Clear, defined goals for the branding or marketing project.
  • Optimisation: Refining strategies for better performance.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

P

  • Phased Approach: Breaking the project into distinct stages or phases.
  • Project Scope: The extent of work to be completed in the project.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

R

  • ROI (Return on Investment): The expected financial benefit relative to the cost of the project.
  • Retainer: An ongoing fee for continued services over a set period.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

S

  • Scalable Solutions: Strategies that can grow or adapt as the client's needs change.
  • Success Metrics: Specific indicators used to measure the project's effectiveness.
  • Sitemap: A structured list or diagram of all pages on a website, showing how they are organised and interconnected.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

T

  • Tailored Strategy: A customised approach designed specifically for the client's needs.
  • Time and Materials: Billing based on the actual time spent and resources used.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

V

  • Value Proposition: The unique value your agency offers to solve the client's problems.

Internal Communication28 Feb 2025Simon Druery

W

  • Website Analytics: The process of collecting and analysing data about website traffic and user behaviour.
  • Wireframes: Basic visual guides that outline the structure and layout of a webpage or app before design and development begin.

Understanding these terms can help you communicate effectively with your branding and marketing agency, ensuring clarity and alignment on projects. Whether you're launching a campaign, refining your brand identity, or tracking performance, this glossary will serve as a handy reference to keep you in the know.

Need expert guidance on branding and marketing? Get in touch with our team today!

Article by Simon Druery

Simon Druery is Director and Brand Strategist at Belong Creative. What gets him jumping out of bed each day is helping business owners and marketers craft brands that people want to belong to. When he’s not working you can find him travelling Australia in the family caravan and enjoying a tawny port by the fire.