Since the internet became the primary field of action for marketing, offering new possibilities for communication, interaction, and sales, a creative debate has emerged between brand marketers and performance marketers regarding which approach is more effective.

On one side, there are traditional marketers who excel in creativity, tone of voice, emotional connection, branding, storytelling, and brand experience. On the other side, there are the technology and programming experts—data lovers with analytical thinking, who focus heavily on numbers, charts, CPC, CPA, CPM, and more.

At the same time, business owners and marketing executives are still trying to determine the most suitable approach for their brand based on what they see and hear in the market.

Branding vs. Performance

A strong brand name with clear positioning and differentiation that remains top of mind for customers undeniably wins in the market. However, building such a brand takes time, and time in business is costly.

Conversely, maximizing the return on digital marketing investment through personalized ads, appropriate content at each touchpoint via marketing automation yields immediate results but does not significantly contribute to brand differentiation and strengthening.

At RISTART, in recent years, we have adopted a different approach that appears to have the best results. And what does that mean? It quickly generates a revenue stream for the company (money is oxygen!) while also strengthening the brand to create a loyal customer base that trusts it.

Thus, we move past the dilemma of brand marketing versus performance marketing because the answer to the best marketing plan execution includes both. We don’t choose one or the other—we implement a combination of both. Hence, the term “brandformance,” derived from the words branding and performance (Brand(ing) + (Per)formance).

What Is Brandformance Marketing?

Brandformance is the strategic approach that combines actions to strengthen and grow a brand while simultaneously maximizing the efficiency of each marketing initiative across channels to achieve marketing goals.

To put it simply and strategically, this is the best way to achieve both short-term and long-term goals while maintaining a high conversion rate.

By speaking continuously with CEOs, commercial directors, marketers, and business owners, I understand their concerns and challenges. I know how important it is for them to invest in marketing and maximize the value of every euro spent. The answer lies in brandformance.

What Does Brandformance Marketing Include?

Since we are talking about a holistic approach, it is essential to understand the customer journey—that is, the journey your customer takes from the moment they consider a purchase to the moment they buy and become a loyal customer. Understanding this journey ensures that marketing actions focus on the most important touchpoints and interactions, convincing potential customers that your brand is the best choice.

Let’s explore some of the key activities involved in brandformance marketing:

• One of the first touchpoints with potential customers is Google’s search engine. If this applies to your brand, ensure that it appears in both branded searches and generic industry-related keywords (where applicable) through paid ads, organic content, and SEO efforts.
• The search engine also reads the content of video titles on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. To stand out in search results, potential customers should find your videos answering their questions. Content marketing combined with social media marketing is the key to organic brand visibility. Pay close attention to video and article titles.
• If you know where your audience is and have determined your media mix, launch a brand awareness campaign across offline and online media. For online channels, design personalized ads for each social media platform and target audience segment.
• Target users who visited your website or searched for services and products related to yours with non-skippable pre-roll videos on YouTube. This is the most effective ad format on YouTube. Additionally, consider a retargeting banner campaign on the Google Display Network.
• If you sell products online, incorporate Google Shopping Ads into your strategy to display your products with descriptions, prices, images, and your eCommerce store’s name.
• Do not focus solely on acquiring new customers. Regularly communicate with your existing customer base through email marketing, Viber, and SMS marketing. How often? As often as you have relevant information to share. Monitor the results of each campaign, such as open rates and clicks. Focus not on how many people engaged but on why they did or did not respond to your efforts.

Before implementing any action, remember that every company, product, or service is unique—just like you. Focus on evaluating and analyzing yourself and your customers rather than mimicking what others do. Each brand is distinctive and special. If you need assistance, we would be happy to help!