# Branding vs. positioning

By [Doug Lane](https://paragraph.com/@axalane) · 2022-03-30

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Have you ever admired a company even though you don’t transact any business with them? That, in a nutshell, is the difference between branding and positioning.

**Branding is about emotion. Positioning is about action.**

Here’s an example. I was recently in the market for a video hosting provider. I narrowed it down to two options: [Wistia](https://wistia.com/) and [Vimeo](https://vimeo.com/).

Wistia is a company I admire. I first became a paid customer around 2008, when there were probably five people working there. I then used them at two subsequent companies and recommended them to countless colleagues. I watch their product videos. I listen to [their podcast](https://wistia.com/series/talking-too-loud). I admire their [unconventional business decisions](https://wistia.com/learn/culture/taking-on-debt-to-grow-our-own-way). I even attended one of their user conferences. I’m a superfan.

But a few weeks ago, I bought Vimeo.

Why? **Positioning.**

There are two ways to buy Wistia. There is [an entry-level option](https://wistia.com/soapbox/pricing) for $300 per year that doesn’t do everything I need. There’s [an enterprise option](https://wistia.com/pricing) that costs around $1,200 per year (plus a variable cost after the first 10 videos). It includes many advanced features I don’t need.

I didn’t have any feelings – good or bad – about Vimeo. When I tried it, I liked it a little less than Wistia. But it offers [the exact features](https://vimeo.com/upgrade) that a solopreneur like me needs for $240 per year.

A great brand pulls you in and creates sales momentum. But the right positioning closes the deal. Be great at both if you can.

\-Doug

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*Originally published on [Doug Lane](https://paragraph.com/@axalane/branding-vs-positioning)*