Brand building, “branding,” is to develop goodwill, define brand positioning, strengthen it, and create association with customers and consumers. This business requires a long-term investment, thanks to the image campaigns, but also, in particular, through the development of its presence on the web and social networks, which requires time.
Performance marketing aims to measure and improve the effectiveness of advertising campaigns using data and analytics tools. Its goal is to effectively direct advertising levers and creations to create a form that the brand can measure, thanks to dashboards. In fact, performance marketing campaigns often target lead acquisition, traffic generation, or conversions and are limited to short-term marketing actions.
Often, brand strategies and marketing performance levers are separated. In a difficult economic context, the pressure on the shoulders of marketing decision makers can lead to the neglect of brand investments to focus on performance marketing operations.
However, the strength of the brand in terms of fame and image clearly contributes to the performance of tactical marketing actions. Thus, working on brand building and effective use of marketing performance levers are two equally important aspects of marketing that should combine to increase performance.
Focusing only on short-term indicators can be detrimental to the brand
The increasing use of digitization in marketing is making performance management more reliable, fast and thoughtful. Whether it is measuring the quality of a site’s audience, monitoring engagement on social networks, the evolution of mentions of a site or measuring the attribution of various sales tools, the management tools are there: it is (almost) enough to put them in place. This experimentation is possible today without an internet connection: for Measuring the contribution of different media to store visitsmeasuring the impact of television and radio on online conversions (With a solution like Realytics) …
Of course, it is imperative that marketing decision makers exploit the potential of these measurement solutions. In particular, this makes it possible to perform short-term arbitrage in campaigns: adjusting the media mix, changing creative copy, adjusting the customer journey, customization or commerce parameters, etc.
However, it is necessary to step back from short-term guidance indicators.
For example, lowering prices or using promotions can help generate more leads and conversions, but it is likely that if these levers are used too high and often, it will tarnish the company’s image. The brand, especially if it claims high-quality positioning. To increase conversions, AB tests can lead to the conclusion that using more eye-catching visuals or more direct messages is more effective in increasing click volume: However, does this align with the brand’s communication charter? Does it help locate. Brand and loyalty building over time? …
Short term can also lead to a false indicator. By focusing on indicators that can be monitored in near real time (clicks, conversions, and possibly customer acquisition), we may be led to neglect the real ROI, based on the real value of customers acquired. This must be measured over time, as it depends on customer loyalty and the quality of their relationship with the brand. Building a brand, positioning it, also means choosing the right customers for the company.
Finally, by focusing investments on tactical levers to achieve performance in the short term, under the influence of a specific context (economic crisis, new competition, etc.), the risk lies in withdrawing from the levers whose effects appear in the long term. This is the case of investing in the brand’s reputation, its image, as well as the quality of the relationship with customers, or its “natural” presence in search engines.
Brand is decisive in customer choices
When we think about customer journeys, we also see that a large part of conversions takes place in brand awareness and image, and therefore in actions at the top of the funnel. why ?
Because when the brand is strong, when its image is positive, consistent with its products and goals, it benefits from clear advantages over competitors.
The stronger the brand, the less sensitive it is to price competition. A recognized brand can make up for the price difference with a more distinctive image and automatically recognizes greater quality or reliability.
When clicking to make an appointment, to make a reservation or order, the trust that the customer can have in the brand plays a decisive role. This customer trust lists, in order:
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- Quality of brand expression (professional, emotional, etc.)
- to spontaneous brand recognition (he’ll prefer a brand he knows)
- In the image of the brand, both in terms of quality and relevance to its values (with the same reputation)
Thus, the impact of brand awareness can be felt in conversion rates.
Search engines are a vital economic issue. The fact that a brand is automatically searched for in Google is directly related to its market share. However, to be searched on Google, a brand must first make itself known to the general public and capitalize on a certain notoriety.