Understanding Brandformance: A Straightforward Guide

What is Brandformance?

As the name suggests, brandformance combines "branding" with "performance". Historically, advertising strategies targeted either brand establishment or sales. These two goals were rarely pursued concurrently because of the segregated nature of advertising outlets. But times have changed. With the merging of digital and traditional media, and better access to in-depth data, there emerged a unified approach: brandformance. It’s all about not just building a brand but ensuring that it performs to deliver ROI.

According to a survey by eMarketer, 56% of brands globally said combining brand and performance goals led to better marketing outcomes, compared to traditional siloed campaigns. This underpins the efficiency of a brandformance strategy.

(Source: eMarketer, 2022)

Pros & Cons of Brandformance

Nielsen's study on advertising effectiveness found that campaigns blending brand and activation strategies achieved 58% larger business effects than campaigns focusing on just one.

Pros:

• Cost-Efficiency: Combines the costs of branding and performance marketing.
• Unified Strategy: Offers a more holistic approach to reach audiences.
• Innovative Campaigns: Merges traditional creative insights with digital tools, ensuring engaging campaigns.

Cons:

• Potential for Unclear Messaging: Juggling branding and performance can sometimes muddle the core message.

The beauty of brandformance lies in its balance. While it brings back impactful creativity lost in modern performance-driven tactics, it does not ignore the significance of modern performance tools.

Brandformance in Real Life

Big names like Coca-Cola, Ray-Ban, and Google are harnessing platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Twitch for their brandformance campaigns. Coca-Cola's campaign on TikTok led to a 4% uplift in sales with a 15% increase in brand recall. This demonstrates the power of a platform when used strategically for both branding and performance.

Brandformance: A Strategy Worth Considering?

If you're aiming to carve out an identity in the market while also driving sales, brandformance is certainly worth exploring. It's all about leveraging the best of both branding and performance worlds.

A recent poll from the Performance Marketing Association found that 68% of marketers believe combining brand and performance marketing strategies will be standard practice within the next two years.

(Source: Performance Marketing Association, 2023)