Marketing budgets shift: Sales promotions up, brand building down

We were speaking to a brand last year whose marketing agency in New York was celebrating their "amazing results", all whilst the brand watched their CAC double. They couldn't have been further apart in their understanding of what was actually happening. They were spending $200k a month on ads, and the brand was not happy. And this isn't uncommon at all - we see it regularly across the industry. Agencies focus on vanity metrics that looked impressive in their monthly reports, whilst the brand was bleeding money on customer acquisition costs that had spiralled completely out of control. The reality is harsh but simple - it's our responsibility as service providers to ensure everyone is working from the same playbook. Single source of truth, single source of results, costs, performance, and absolute transparency. No exceptions. When an agency celebrates a 40% increase in traffic whilst your cost per acquisition has doubled, something is fundamentally broken in the communication chain. Brands need shared dashboards, weekly alignment calls, and most importantly - measure success by the metrics that actually matter to your bottom line. The uncomfortable truth is that many agencies prefer this misalignment because it allows them to control the narrative and avoid accountability for the metrics that truly drive business growth. But brands are getting smarter, and they're demanding better. I believe this is why there is such a big movement with brands wanting to take performance marketing in-house - the time and friction from input > results > understanding > refinement is significantly reduced. Brands want partners who are invested in their actual success, not just impressive-sounding reports that mask poor performance. The agencies that survive the next few years will be the ones who embrace radical transparency and align their success metrics with their clients' business objectives. Those who don't will find themselves having increasingly awkward conversations about why the numbers don't add up. Hope this helps.

⚔️ Are we fighting the wrong battle? Today I was reading an article in Harvard Business Review about - 🚨 Brand Building vs Performance Marketing In most companies, brand building and performance marketing always feel like rivals. On one side, you have performance marketing. It is about sales, leads, clicks, ROI, instant results. On the other side, you have brand building. It is about shaping how people feel about your company, your story, your values. The challenge? 👉 Performance looks measurable. Dashboards show you results every day. 👉 Brand feels long-term, hard to track, and often the first thing cut when budgets are tight. But here’s the powerful insight from the article: Instead of fighting for budget, both should follow one single North Star — brand equity. That means asking: ➡️ How does performance marketing affect the brand’s long-term value? ➡️ How does brand building contribute to revenue, ROI, and shareholder value? Because the truth is: Strong brand equity makes performance cheaper, since people already trust and like you. Strong performance marketing makes brand growth faster, since the story reaches the right people at scale. The realization for me? The strongest companies are not the ones that choose between brand and performance. They are the ones that connect the two. They measure both with a balance of long-term brand equity and financial returns. 💡 Lessons for beginners in marketing: - Do not ignore brand building just because it is hard to measure. A strong brand lowers your ad costs later. - Do not ignore performance marketing just because you are excited about storytelling. Without sales, stories die. - Always think about the long game. Campaigns should not only drive clicks today but also trust tomorrow. - Learn to speak the language of both worlds — creative storytelling for brand and data-driven testing for performance. It is not brand versus performance. It is brand with performance. That is where the real power lies.

“Consistency beats novelty when it comes to branding.” Too many firms chase trends and wear out their message. The real power lies in understanding the cycle of marketing—how positioning, storytelling, and engagement flow together to build durable brand equity. Read our full breakdown here: https://lnkd.in/g7_nZf48

We've seen this again and again - campaigns drive engagement and the business grows; the campaigns reach a saturation point, competitors start to copy your positioning, and the numbers start to plateau. Good reporting and a willingness to spend time reviewing KPIs that are going the WRONG way instead of focusing on numbers that make the agency or the marketing team look good is a sign of a good partnership and healthy team. Consistent reporting and spending time looking for opportunities helps marketing teams pivot and adapt when the message no longer resonates or the market gets saturated. This requires trust and a strong relationship, but it results in maximizing ROI, not just at the beginning of a campaign, but over the life of the relationship.

Advertising, Branding, Marketing… do you know the difference? Many organizations use these words like they mean the same thing. That’s a costly mistake. When the roles of each aren’t clear, it’s hard to know what’s actually working. Here’s what often happens: 🚫 Spending effort to get attention when you really need action 🚫 Trying to “build trust” with ads alone 🚫 Tweaking messages over and over when the real problem is the overall strategy Here’s a simpler way to think about it: Marketing = The Plan This is your roadmap. It defines your goals, who you want to reach, and how to connect with them effectively. Branding = How People Experience You This is your reputation and personality. It’s what makes people trust you, remember you, and want to engage with your organization. Advertising = Getting Your Message Out This is how people actually hear about you—through campaigns, posts, or promotions. Done right, it drives engagement, partnerships, and meaningful results. When all three work together: ✅ People clearly understand who you are and what you do ✅ Your message reaches the right audience ✅ Your efforts produce real, measurable impact At TBnewswatch, the region’s #1 local news source with over 4 million page views each month, we help organizations—businesses, non-profits, and service providers—reach the right audience in ways that truly matter. The takeaway: understand the difference between marketing, branding, and advertising, and you’ll stop guessing and start getting results.

There are two kinds of marketing: brand and performance. Different goals, strategies, and metrics. But the best brands use both! In our latest blog post, we break down how these two approaches work together across paid, earned, and owned media, and how to find your right mix. 👉 https://lnkd.in/gzCYUd5T

Are your marketing campaigns built for short-term wins—or long-term growth? In today’s competitive landscape, success isn’t just about quick conversions. It’s about creating consistent, measurable impact across every stage of the customer journey. Our latest blog, “Marketing Effectiveness: How to Build Campaigns That Drive Long-Term Growth,” breaks down how to: -Build a balanced strategy that drives both immediate results and sustainable growth -Optimize campaign performance through data-driven insights -Create synergy between print and digital channels to boost ROI Whether you’re looking to refine your marketing mix or elevate your brand strategy for 2026, check out our latest blog for a roadmap to success- https://lnkd.in/erY4QBz8 #MarketingStrategy #Advertising #BrandGrowth #DigitalMarketing #DirectMail #Mspark

Title: "Systemizing Marketing Efforts: The Key to Building Brand Trust" In this age of digital marketing, systemization is an essential aspect that businesses can’t afford to overlook. It's not just about sending out emails or posting on social media. It's about creating a well-structured, replicable process that ensures consistent brand messaging. Implementing marketing systemization is like setting up a well-oiled machine. The gears and cogs represent the different facets of your marketing strategy, working in harmony to deliver your brand message to your target audience. This is where the power of brand trust comes in. Trust is the bedrock upon which successful brands are built. It's the intangible asset that nudges customers to choose your brand over competitors. But how do you cultivate this trust? Consistency is the key. In a world where consumers are bombarded with endless marketing messages, consistency emerges as a defining feature of trustworthy brands. By systemizing your marketing, you ensure that your brand message remains constant across all channels. This consistency helps to foster a sense of familiarity and reliability with your audience, ultimately building brand trust. But remember, systemization isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. It requires careful planning and adaptation to your unique brand identity and business goals. Start by identifying the core elements of your marketing strategy. From there, develop structured processes to manage these elements efficiently. Incorporate automation tools to streamline routine tasks, freeing up your team to focus on more strategic initiatives. Establish benchmarks to measure your progress and adjust your strategy as needed. In conclusion, marketing systemization is much more than just a way to save time and resources. It's a strategic approach to building brand trust, enhancing your reputation and fostering long-term customer relationships. So, are you ready to systemize your marketing efforts and build a brand your customers can trust? #MarketingSystemization #BrandTrust #StrategicMarketing

Brand marketing is no longer a “soft” metric—it directly impacts visibility, trust, and long-term growth. This article outlines how to measure ROI by tracking brand performance across the funnel: awareness (impressions, branded search), consideration (return visits, reviews), conversion (sign-ups, sales), and loyalty (retention, referrals). By connecting these metrics to business outcomes, such as revenue and customer lifetime value, marketers can clearly demonstrate how the brand drives measurable results. The takeaway: brand is a powerful growth lever that deserves equal weight alongside performance marketing.

Multi-location marketing seems simple, but every region has its own story (and its own challenges!!) When you’re running campaigns for multiple properties, you quickly realize that what works in one area doesn’t always work in another. After years of managing marketing across different areas, here are a few things I’ve learned: 1️⃣ Show up locally Each property needs to be visible in its own neighborhood. That means optimizing Google Business Profiles, creating local landing pages, and making reviews a crucial part of the strategy. 2️⃣ Keep the brand consistent, but stay flexible Your overall brand voice should be steady, but campaigns should adjust to local audiences. A message that works in one city might not land in the next. 3️⃣ Look at the big picture, then zoom in Centralized reporting helps you see overall trends, but breaking down results by region tells you where to shift focus or budget. 4️⃣ Spend where it counts A new lease-up in a tough market may need more ad dollars, while stabilized locations can run lean. Matching spend to each property’s needs keeps ROI healthy. 5️⃣ Work with local teams Staff on site know their communities best. Giving them the right tools and a little freedom helps campaigns feel authentic while staying on brand. 💡Multi-location marketing works best when strategy is scalable, but execution still feels local. If you manage marketing across different regions, what’s been the biggest challenge for you?