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For years, the world of marketing and communications has been divided between two schools of thought: those advocating long-term brand building on one side, and those demanding measurable, immediate results on the other. Brand or performance? Awareness or conversion?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Today, in an increasingly competitive landscape, this divide risks being not only outdated but also harmful. Growth doesn\u2019t come from choosing one side, it comes from designing the right balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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At SAY, we want to help marketers and decision-makers move beyond this sterile dichotomy and build strategies that are conscious, measurable, and sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What we will cover in this article:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The obsession with short-term results, fueled by the availability of real-time data, has led many brands to disproportionately invest in performance-driven activities. The outcome? <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n As Les Binet and Peter Field<\/strong> showed in their landmark study The Long and the Short of It<\/em>, brands that balance short- and long-term investment grow faster. The ideal ratio? Roughly 60% of budget in brand building, 40% in performance. <\/strong>Of course, the exact mix depends on context, critical thinking, and expertise. Similarly, Dan White<\/strong> highlights an inevitable duality:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Marketing must create value today, while also building the value of tomorrow. The two must never be managed separately.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The classic funnel model, awareness, consideration, conversion, no longer reflects how people actually behave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Consumers now move within a Messy Middle<\/strong>: a complex, non-linear space where they explore, compare, go back, and jump ahead. Here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n inspiration might spark from a YouTube video and turn into a purchase in just a few clicks;<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n a banner ad may be forgotten, or, if designed well, influence a decision weeks later;<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n awareness acts as activation, and performance also builds brand.<\/p>\n<\/div> <\/p>\n\n\n\n In this context, brand and performance are not sequential phases<\/strong> but simultaneous functions<\/strong>. The marketer\u2019s role is to design touchpoints that are relevant, memorable, and actionable, every single day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the events we\u2019ve attended and hosted, we often break down brand awareness into three essential dimensions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Brand Recall (Notoriety)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Being remembered. Measurable through surveys with specific questions, or through branded search volumes that can also feed into SOS (Share of Search) metrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Familiarity (Affinity & Relevance)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Being recognised and perceived as relevant. A brand becomes the \u201cnatural choice\u201d when it maintains consistency, a clear tone of voice, and a strong identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Mental Availability<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Being the first brand that comes to mind when needed<\/strong>. Byron Sharp defines this as more important than brand love: mental availability drives choice. Awareness isn\u2019t just visibility. It\u2019s being chosen without having to persuade.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Building the right mix means working across four pillars<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Conscious Measurement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Advertising platforms only show part of the picture. To go beyond the limits of traditional attribution models, we need awareness, and above all, a mindset shift<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not everything that can\u2019t be measured is irrelevant<\/strong>. And not everything that can be measured is truly important<\/strong>. Vanity metrics often distract us from real business impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. External Influences<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Performance must be analysed in context, taking into account external factors<\/strong> such as seasonality, competitor activity, and economic or industry trends<\/strong>. Technical aspects, often overlooked, like ad<\/strong> saturation<\/strong> and adstock<\/strong> (the prolonged effect of advertising exposure) must also be considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Test, Test, and Test Again<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Experimentation isn\u2019t optional: it\u2019s essential<\/strong>. Incrementality tests, such GeoLift, allow us to measure the true<\/em> impact of campaigns, separating direct causality from placebo effects. This is the only way to validate models and strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Rigour with Perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Data alone never tells the full story. A number taken out of context is an illusion of precision<\/strong>. Only through conscious analysis that combines method, intuition, and contextual knowledge can we turn measurement into growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n In modern marketing, there are no \u201cpure\u201d channels or isolated objectives. Every channel can contribute, in different ways, both to brand building and to driving performance. A YouTube campaign can generate direct sales. A Search campaign can strengthen brand image when paired with the right creative<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The key isn\u2019t to assign one objective per channel, but to design a media ecosystem where:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n For this reason, rather than distinguishing between awareness channels and performance channels, we prefer to talk about media ecosystems, designed to operate in an integrated and coherent way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n An effective ecosystem is built not to separate awareness from performance, but to increase visibility, build trust and familiarity over time, enable conversion at the right moment, when cognitive, emotional, and contextual conditions align.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n What truly matters is not the tool itself, but the architecture around it: the strategy, the creative, the timing, and the interplay between touchpoints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words: the real value lies in finding the right mix<\/strong>. That\u2019s where effectiveness lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n At SAY, we help brands thrive in the Messy Middle<\/strong> by consciously balancing brand and performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s how we can support you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strategy, Positioning & Objectives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Creative That Builds and Converts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Continuous Measurement & Optimisation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Conscious Marketing First<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not about choosing between brand or performance. It\u2019s about building conscious marketing<\/strong>: marketing that reads the context, anticipates user behaviour, and navigates both short- and long-term growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n “Don\u2019t just settle for knowing what worked. Find out why.”<\/em><\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n Curious to know if you\u2019re over-investing in performance and under-investing in brand?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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\n<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\nThe Polarisation Between Branding and Performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Messy Middle Has Killed the Funnel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhat Brand Awareness Really Means<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Balance Brand and Performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Choosing the Right Mix (Not the Right Channel)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/li>\n\n\n\nWhat SAY Can Do for You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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SAY S.p.A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n