Marketing is never static. If it stays the same, it’s dead. Marketing is constantly evolving. Why? Because it follows the evolutionary path of the market, consumer behavior, technology, and media culture.

In recent years, changes in marketing have been rapid, and it seems that the playbook for marketing is being rewritten from scratch. In this context, marketers are looking for the best solutions to drive their brands’ growth.

Let’s not hide it. Winning the public’s attention today and increasing share of voice and market share is not easy—or to put it better, it is not as easy as it used to be. The competition is ruthless. On the other hand, as marketers, we now have more tools, data, and channels available to help us do our job in a much more targeted, effective, and efficient way.

The Two Words That Lead to Success in Marketing

The debate that has opened among marketers globally, and is clearly reflected in the results of the new Prophet research that I am sharing with you today, is: brand marketing or performance marketing? Should we focus more on brand marketing or performance marketing? Can the two be combined, and if so, how, and what is the right balance between brand building and performance marketing?

And because the lesson I’ve learned as a strategist is that when I define something, what I understand and what the listener hears and perceives may be two different things, I will list the terms in my article to establish a common understanding at the end.

• Brand Marketing

Brand marketing is the strategic process that focuses on strengthening and developing a brand. Its goal is to differentiate the brand from the competition, give it a specific and strong identity in the minds of customers, and create an emotional connection with them, enhancing brand recognition, loyalty, and preference. Its success is long-term because it takes time to form a brand personality and convince the audience that it is the right choice.

• Performance Marketing

Performance marketing aims to achieve short-term goals, focusing on the optimal performance of digital advertising and emphasizing measurable results by analyzing data and customer purchasing behavior. Its goal is to attract new customers and drive them to specific actions, such as purchases or sign-ups. It uses data to optimize campaigns, ensuring a high return on investment (ROI).

• Integration of the Two Strategies

Integrating the two strategies means designing and implementing marketing in a way that both brand and performance play significant roles at each point of the customer journey. Brand and performance must work together at every touchpoint and interaction with customers to meet both their emotional needs and demand needs, combining emotional and functional benefits.

Conclusions from the Research

The Prophet research, which involved 350 marketers, highlights that the most successful companies do not see brand and performance as opposite extremes, but as two equal partners in a love story. This approach requires strategic thinking and organization to fully integrate the two concepts at every stage of the customer journey.

• The Importance of Integration: Organizations that win in the competition link the brand to demand at every touchpoint with the customer. It’s not enough to focus only on creating demand or strengthening the brand’s reputation, but a holistic approach is needed that meets both the emotional and functional needs of customers.

• The Role of Customer-Centric Strategy: Top marketers design their strategies with their customers at the center. They leverage data and insights from customers to understand their buying behavior, needs, and motivations, and then design their strategy accordingly.
• Investment in Long-Term Relationships: Building relationships that go beyond logic and focus on emotional connection with the brand allows companies to achieve lasting value and higher prices.

• Adaptability and Flexibility: Market-leading companies are not afraid of change and are ready to adapt their strategies when the situation requires it. This adaptability is crucial, especially in times of crisis or rapid technological evolution, such as the one we are currently experiencing.

Recommendations for Marketing Directors and Executives

Based on the conclusions of the study, here are some recommendations for how marketers can put this approach into practice:

1. Combine Data, Strategy, and Creativity: Don’t start any campaign without gathering and analyzing market data. Understand your target customer deeply because they are the ones who will buy your product. Then, design your strategy to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right message, and to the right person. But for this to succeed, you need to be incredibly creative and captivate your customers to choose you.

2. Unify Your Strategy Across the Entire Customer Journey: We were the first company to talk about the customer journey many years ago. The journey a customer makes from the moment they think of a need they want to fulfill, until the moment they purchase. This journey has many important touchpoints that determine whether they will buy from you or reject you. Ensure that both the brand and demand strategies work together at every stage, from the first contact with the customer to their final conversion into a brand ambassador. This means that the story of your brand must be consistent and engaging at all touchpoints and interactions.
3. Create Shared Strategies and Incentives: Collaborate with other teams within your company, such as sales, marketing, communications, and finance, to align efforts and ensure everyone is working toward a common goal. When we take on marketing strategy and implementation for companies, the first thing we ask for is to speak with the commercial director and representatives from the sales department. Sales and marketing must work together toward a common goal.
4. Enhance Your Flexibility: Adaptability is key. Marketers who can quickly adjust their strategies have a greater chance of responding to market changes.

5. Invest in Continuous Education: A marketing executive who is not informed and trained is out of touch with reality and will soon see this reflected in the results of their campaigns. Ensure that your team is constantly trained on new technologies and strategies so they are always prepared to know what to do in every market change or condition. Think about how important it is to always be one step ahead of your competitors, both in Greece and internationally.

In an article I wrote in 2022, I referred to Brandformance Marketing: What It Is and What It Includes, and clearly spoke about the integration of both branding and performance strategies. Specifically, I said that it is the best way for a brand to successfully achieve both short-term and long-term goals.

Brand and Demand Together

Integrating brand and demand is not just a strategic choice, but a necessity for marketers who want to stand out in the market. Marketers who manage to find the balance between data, strategy, creativity, long-term goals, and immediate results will lead their brands to exceptional growth in the years to come.

The Greek Reality

The majority of Greek businesses are focused on growth hacking and performance, making decisions without strategic thinking, without a long-term strategy answering the question “Where are we going?”, using tactics focused on the present, and perhaps the next week. And of course, if this approach worked and we had Greek brands dominating the international market, I would say yes, they are doing well because it works. But it doesn’t work. Except, of course, for Greek companies that invest in strengthening their brand.

And I can almost hear the response: “What long-term value? We’re looking at what’s happening today.” And I agree because, as a marketer, I always want the actions we design for brands to have immediate results and drive the business.

However, there’s a huge BUT. And I say but because, yes, it is essential to look at the present, to adapt, to adopt trends that serve our goals, BUT we must also look at our brand with love and deep respect because it is the most important asset we, as marketers, have in our hands. Without a brand, we’re just selling a product, and our job becomes much harder.

Brands often focus either on one or the other, missing the opportunity to integrate both strategies to maximize their results. Strategies that contribute to the awareness and strength of the brand and strategies that focus on immediate results.

Growth Strategy + Brand Strategy + Marketing Plan = Long-term Growth

And to the question of whether these two should be integrated, the answer lies in the philosophy we have at RISTART that “Every marketing effort must contribute to the growth of the business.”

Example: The Award-Winning Greek Pharmacy

A few years ago, we worked with one of the three largest pharmacies in Greece to design their brand strategy. We started from the internal environment, conducting a survey about the employees’ views on the company.

After analyzing the current situation, the marketing efforts, and the competition, and getting a clear picture, we informed the owner that if he wanted to reduce the enormous amounts he was investing in performance marketing and ads, he would need to simultaneously start initiatives to strengthen his brand. Because the more direct customers you have who choose you consciously, the price becomes less of a choice factor, and you invest less in hard-selling campaigns. He did it. And it worked!