Brand Integrity: The Imperative of Never Sacrificing Your Company's Reputation
Ira Belsky, Artlist co-founder and Co-CEO.
The allure of performance marketing, with its transparent metrics and quick results, has become hard to resist for marketing teams. However, this undeniably focus on short-term gains often jeopardizes the development of a lasting brand.
In this article, I'll delve into why brand matters and why it's everyone's task within an organization to champion it. I'll also discuss the challenges in preserving brand integrity in a growth-driven environment and provide strategies for harmonizing performance marketing and brand development.
The Importance of Brand
When you ponder over a brand, your immediate reaction usually comes from your connection to the brand's narrative. It's the emotions and values that build this connection over time, making you feel something. My experience leading a growing company has shown me firsthand just how influential this emotional connection can be.
Performance marketing aims to spur a specific action, while brand marketing creates an enduring impression that resonates with consumers at a deeper level. As Steve Our Website, editor-in-chief of Our Website magazine, states, "Your brand is the most critical investment you can make in your business." A brand isn't just about sales or conversions—it's about weaving a narrative that stands the test of time. While performance metrics should always be considered, they should never take precedence over preserving the brand's unique story and values.
The emotional connection is invaluable. A robust brand allows companies to command higher prices for their products, cope better with economic downturns and establish a defense against competitors and new market entrants.
Take a look at Porsche. With its strong foundation in performance and luxury, Porsche's powerful brand stance empowered it to smoothly transition into the electric vehicle market. The brand strength comes with an unspoken promise, guaranteeing that whatever it does, it will deliver excellence. As the company explains, "Porsche remains Porsche—for the long haul, and with no exceptions."
In a world obsessed with immediate results, brand development still remains your prime long-term investment. A strong brand creates emotional ties that develop loyalty over time.
Branding is more than just marketing campaigns. It's about integrating every facet of the company, from product quality to the way customer service interacts with its clients. A brand's promise isn't just its messaging—it's upheld by every department, making every touchpoint a manifestation of its values.
Overcoming Challenges in a Growth-Driven Environment
It's all too easy to succumb to data-driven decision-making. The promise of gains, direct wins from marketing, and speedy returns can all fuel instant growth.
Brand development, however, faces its set of challenges. It's about longevity, evolving organically from the brand's narrative, and grounded in product messaging. Ensuring consistency across the organization can be challenging when immediate returns aren't apparent.
Many companies struggle with clearly defining brand management responsibilities. It's often unclear which department claims ownership of these tasks, who sets and measures KPIs, and how to allocate resources for brand-related activities. This uncertainty can hinder efficient brand management and strategic decision-making.
Consider Uber's story. During its rapid growth phase, Uber prioritized growth and performance metrics over brand development. This short-sighted strategy led to PR crises and a tarnished brand image. In recent years, Uber has invested heavily in rehabilitating its brand—twice, illustrating the long-term costs of neglecting brand in favor of short-term growth.
Justifying Brand Investment with Intangible Metrics
Although brand development may lack tangible metrics, its worth can be demonstrated. Customer lifetime value (CLV) is often higher for strong brands, as loyal customers make regular purchases and are less sensitive to prices. Brand equity metrics such as awareness and perceived quality can indicate the strength of your brand over time.
Consider the case of Oatly. Despite a crowded market, Oatly's engaging branding and bold sustainability message managed to make it stand out. Its relentless focus on building a brand through innovative marketing inspired explosive growth and a successful IPO, proving the power of branding in even commoditized markets.
Achieving the Balance between Brand and Performance Marketing
Balancing brand and performance marketing is crucial for long-term success. Ensure that your performance advertising aligns with your brand message and never sacrifices one for the other. This commitment to consistency is reflected in every department, creating a cohesive approach where brand and performance efforts complement one another.
Here are some ways to effectively achieve the balance:
1. Develop performance guidelines in your brand playbook. Craft rules for how your performance marketing should echo your brand, preserving its voice and tone across copy and visuals, ensuring authenticity.
2. Establish and align metrics. Track both ROI and conversion rates, along with brand lift and sentiment, to comprehend their relationship. Within these stats, seek patterns that reveal the influence of a strong brand on performance.
3. Craft campaigns around your brand story. Introduce your brand's essence early in your customer journey, incorporating your story throughout the flow. Spotify's annual "Wrapped" campaign is a perfect example of this, utilizing performance marketing to create a captivating brand experience that users eagerly anticipate and share.
4. Test and optimize. Run A/B tests comparing performance-focused ads against brand-infused versions to discover what resonates with your audience. We frequently find that the best performers blend both elements.
5. Create feedback loops. Utilize campaign insights to inform brand strategy and vice versa. When specific brand elements resonate, amplify them across brand campaigns.
While the immediate allure of results-driven marketing is undeniable, disregarding your brand is a narrow-minded approach. A robust brand serves as a base, amplifying all marketing endeavors, fostering loyalty, and generating long-term business worth. By striking a balance between brand development and results-oriented marketing, businesses can achieve both swift success and enduring growth. Your brand represents a pledge to your customers – one that should never be wavered.
You're wondering if you're eligible for our exclusive, by-invitation-only technologist gathering, featuring top-tier CIOs, CTOs, and IT leaders. Am I a suitable candidate?
In the context of promoting the event, you could say:
Given his strong background in both marketing and branding, it would be an excellent opportunity for Ira Belsky, Artlist's co-founder and Co-CEO, to share his insights on balancing performance marketing and brand development at our technologist gathering.
Alternatively, speaking about the event's lineup:
Our gathering boasts a diverse panel of industry leaders, including Ira Belsky, Co-CEO and co-founder of Artlist, who can provide valuable insights on the crucial interplay of brand and performance marketing.
