The Missing Piece to your Marketing

Why is it we are more likely to think of an iPhone than a piece of fruit when the word ‘apple’ is mentioned?

How often do we find ourselves drinking a beer not for the taste, but because they have a kickass beer ad?

Why do we buy the latest fashion trends and not the best material composition when considering a clothing purchase?

Brand identity and brand marketing holds the keys to long term success for every business. Not limited to an industry or demographic, brand marketing is valuable in every organisation. That is why so often, the most well known, are also the most successful.

All the brand experts, from Mark Ritson to Les Binet and Peter Fields, are saying the same thing: at least 50% of your marketing budget needs to go towards brand marketing in order to create future demand and business growth.

You simply can't ignore it, and if you are not already doing it we have the tips for you to make it happen.

Why 50% of Your Budget Needs to Go Towards Brand

To understand Brand marketing you must first understand its counterpart Performance Marketing. Whereas Brand marketing focuses on growing affection and awareness towards the brand, Performance marketing is centred around a particular product with the core purpose to sell. Sure, performance marketing is the rockstar of short-term sales, you can grab that low-hanging fruit. But what happens when those fruit-lovers move on? We've all heard the sad stories of flashy startups – rapid growth, sudden plateau, and then the lights go out. Guess what they missed? Long-term Brand marketing.

The challenge lies not in the education of marketers or the availability of various media formats for brand awareness but rather in the internal pressures exerted by senior leadership, limiting businesses from promoting long-term growth. CEOs and leadership groups prioritise immediate returns from campaign spending, typically achieved through short-term Performance marketing efforts. This imbalance in marketing strategies has often driven businesses to the highest of heights before crashing to the lowest of lows.

As marketing guru Mark Ritson captures so well: "If you look for returns from your marketing on a 12-month or shorter time scale, you will inevitably undervalue long-term brand building and move too much of your marketing investment into shorter-term tactical fare."

Get More Out of Your Brand Marketing.

Realising your business needs to focus on brand image is the hard part, convincing senior leadership to think the same is the hardest part. Welcome to the easy part.

When positioning your brand in the spotlight there are 2 things to consider; Your Message and Your Reach & Frequency

Brand marketing is all about driving affection and awareness to your brand, if the message you are advocating lacks impact and entertainment, no matter how frequently it's seen - you are simply not achieving your goal. Vise versa, you could have the perfect branding message but without adequate exposure your message goes unnoticed.

Brand marketing can take form on a number of popular platforms like;
Social Media, this content usually includes brand hero videos and authentic behind the scenes content that promotes brand authenticity and character. Businesses can also use social media to promote brand messages.

Digital OOH. The go-to platform to broadcast a punchy and captivating message to the broader community. Ideal for brand awareness, DOOH offers a cost effective and traceable way to improve your brands health Advancements in Digital OOH Advertising — Shiine

Media Publications, the term ‘any exposure is good exposure’ although not entirely true does hold some merit. Getting your business broadcast by a publication is excellent for brand health and recognition (assuming it's for the right thing). This is another format that allows the core message to shine through to a large audience.

Ready to Apply This to Your Brand?

Whether you're new to brand marketing or well-versed, take a moment to evaluate how much of your marketing budget is dedicated to building your brand. If you notice an imbalance within your organisation, don't rush to change everything overnight. Instead, gradually shift towards a more brand-focused approach and explore popular media formats to elevate your brand

Always remember: patience is key to long-term success. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is your brand.