The hidden power of brand marketing: beyond direct attribution

Authored in conversation with Vanessa Ashworth, Head of Marketing Communications at A-SAFE

Brand marketing: a marmite for marketers

Marketers face constant pressure to prove ROI for every initiative. But what happens when the most valuable marketing activities can’t be directly measured?

This is the fascinating paradox of brand marketing – its true impact unfolds over time, shaping perceptions, trust, and long-term business growth in ways that defy traditional attribution models.

In this article Lorraine and Vanessa unfold how brand marketing works and how marketers should validate the brand marketing investment.

The invisible force of brand marketing

Brand marketing is like planting a garden – you won’t see results overnight, but with proper nurturing, it grows into something magnificent. At its core, brand marketing operates through three fundamental pillars:

1Visibility: People can’t buy what they can’t see, won’t consider what they don’t know and won’t buy what they don’t trust. Brand marketing ensures your company remains visible through strategic press coverage, compelling website content, a strong LinkedIn presence, and engaging e-newsletters. This visibility isn’t just about being seen – it’s about being seen consistently and with purpose. This is how familiarity turns into trust and trust turns into action.

2 Credibility: Shifting from a hardware business to a digital product or service provider isn’t just a rebrand – it’s a fundamental transformation that can’t be achieved through simple website updates or an advertising campaign alone. It requires consistent, strategic storytelling that resonates with decision-makers at higher organisational levels. Each story builds another layer of trust and authority in this new identity.

3 Memorability: When potential customers identify a need, you want your brand to be their first thought. This doesn’t happen by chance – it’s the result of consistent storytelling, messaging, and a strong presence in their professional sphere. It’s about creating lasting impressions that surface at the most moments that matter the most – when decisions are made.

The snowball effect

Brand marketing operates like a snowball rolling down a hill – it starts small but gains momentum and mass over time. This compounding effect is what makes it so powerful in the medium to long term. While performance marketing offers immediate, measurable results, its impact typically ends when the campaign does.

Think about it: once you’ve paid for that search result, click, or exhibition space, the money is spent. If the visitor doesn’t convert, that investment yields no further returns. Brand marketing, however, continues to work for you long after the initial investment.

Maximising brand marketing impact

Businesses are not fully capitalising on their PR and marketing communication investments.  To fully leverage your brand marketing efforts, you need to:

1. Better distribute your content across all channels.
2. Translate content for global markets.
3. Encourage broader content sharing among subsidiaries, sales teams, and employees.

The investment perspective

While brand marketing requires significant investment and patience, its long-term value typically outweighs that of performance marketing. Yes, measuring its direct impact can be challenging, but its ability to accelerate sales cycles, attract quality leads, and build lasting brand equity makes it invaluable.

Vanessa’s mic-drop moment was when she summarised:

“In my experience, if faced with the choice between brand marketing and performance marketing, I’d choose brand marketing every time. While both have their place in a comprehensive marketing strategy, brand marketing’s compound effect creates a foundation for sustainable growth that performance marketing alone cannot achieve.

 

Remember: great brands aren’t built overnight, but through consistent, strategic brand marketing efforts that shape perception, build trust and create lasting connections with your audience.”