Branding vs performance marketing. — Why is it time to question your brand strategy?

We are pushing our products, but we don’t get enough engagement. Our social media posts don’t get enough clicks. Our marketing actions don’t seem to work. Does it all sound familiar? It is probably time to question your branding strategy. And this is why.

Conversion. That's what every business wants from its marketing efforts. "If we're going to invest in marketing, we want to see the results" - no-one disputes this very familiar credo. But to be successful, performance marketing campaigns need to be built on solid foundations: a sound corporate, a holistic brand strategy and a clear brand identity.

For a long time, brand image has been considered a complementary tool, primarily a form of visual identity to be dealt with in the same way as public relations and advertising. The mindset was linear, with corporate strategy leading to sales and marketing, which in turn led to activations. This very limited approach fails to define a company's core identity. You cannot activate and convert if you are not perceived for who you are.

Many businesses ask agencies to set up a marketing campaign or performance marketing action at a moment's notice. This makes no sense without a clear, well-established brand strategy. Introducing products to the market via calls to action is of course an effective process, but it doesn't achieve its goal if it isn't underpinned by careful and well-thought-out reflection.

In a market saturated with similar products, how does your own product stand out? Why would the customer buy it rather than another brand? How can you ensure that the image you have of yourself as a company matches the image in your audience's mind?

Branding rather than performance marketing is not the solution, nor is balancing them. What matters is the hierarchy and the process. With an approach in which brand strategy is defined as the overarching matrix, rooted in business strategy, and defining identity, the other marketing elements will flow naturally.

Can a branding strategy really stand the test of time?

Branding is a question of logic. Companies come to us because they have a problem, they know they need to change, but they don't know how. We give them more than answers, we give them the keys to answering future questions and problems and to making their brand identity clear and strong. We design a strategy that makes sense, that is rooted in the company's DNA. In this way, we make the brand resilient and consistent. Fundamentally, the aim is to appeal to stakeholders in an effective and sincere way. In this sense, a solid brand strategy should not only stand the test of time, it should also be authentic and ethical.