• by Elise Stieferman , February 12, 2025

Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. You can get short-term performance -- the easy clicks, the quick sales -- but you’re not going to build a brand that’s sustainable. You’re not going to grow your audience in a way that really brings in new customers, instead of just converting the already converted.

And let’s be clear: This isn’t a call to dump all your budget into brand awareness and leave performance marketing to fend for itself. Far from it. But most brands need a healthier balance between short-term gains and long-term growth. Just look at the research from Kantar: Smart marketing strategies build predisposition and influence sales over time.

So, how do you start shifting your organization’s mindset (and budget) toward long-term brand growth instead of just chasing short-term metrics that ultimately have diminishing returns?

Look beyond media mix models—get real about incrementality. Traditional media mix modeling tends to favor click-based actions, because those are the easiest to measure. But clicks alone don’t tell the full story of how marketing drives business growth.

Instead, invest in measuring incrementality, the actual sales lift driven by advertising. Build correlation models that connect investment to impact, so you can see how branding efforts contribute to real, long-term revenue growth. You might be surprised by how this disrupts the traditional marketing funnel and uncovers game-changing opportunities you never saw coming.

Take a consumer-centric approach. Yes, paid search is effective. But if your entire strategy revolves around hammering audiences with hard CTAs, don’t be surprised when they start tuning you out. Think like a consumer: sometimes, the thing that makes them choose your brand isn’t a last-minute Google search -- it’s that well-placed billboard, that high-impact CTV ad, or the trust built through influencer recommendations. Diversify your media mix to match how people actually engage with brands.

Change how you report -- make the long game exciting. If all you ever show the CEO is short-term ROI, that’s all they’ll care about.

Flip the script. Start reporting on both leading and lagging indicators -- showing not just immediate returns, but also the long-term value being created. Use refined forecasting tools to highlight how today's brand investments set the stage for future revenue growth. When leadership sees the bigger picture, they'll be more willing to invest beyond quick wins.

Final Thought: Brand and Performance Aren’t Opposites—They’re Partners

The best marketers aren’t choosing between brand and performance. They’re making both work together, driving immediate results while laying the foundation for sustained growth. And if you can shift your marketing mindset to do the same, you’ll be ahead of the competition that’s still stuck chasing short-term gains.