Brand vs. Performance: Which Marketing Should Brands Focus On?
Photography and videography campaign captured for the Pause Studio franchise, a modern wellness and recovery experiential studio.
Quick Facts:
Brands with 40% prompted awareness are 43% more efficient at driving performance marketing outcomes than brands with 30% awareness.
Brands with high awareness achieved 2.86 times higher conversion rates on TikTok than brands with low awareness.
Brand marketing helps performance work harder and cost less
For years, marketers have debated whether to invest in brand or performance.
Brand marketing focuses on building long-term awareness through organic efforts such as social media, storytelling, and strong visual identity. It creates emotional connection and helps people remember who you are.
Performance marketing focuses on driving measurable results through tactics like paid ads, email campaigns, and retargeting. It is designed to generate immediate sales and trackable conversions.
New research from TikTok and Tracksuit supports what agencies like BILLIONMONSTERS have always believed: brand drives performance. Performance is far more effective with brand marketing.
A snapshot of the scheduled social media posts for a swimwear brand that BILLIONMONSTERS manages.
Performance Delivers Speed. Brand Builds Trust.
Performance marketing, like paid search and retargeting, drives quick and measurable results. But without brand awareness, it becomes less effective over time.
According to The Awareness Advantage study, brands with 40% prompted awareness are 43% more efficient at driving performance marketing outcomes than brands with 30% awareness. Brand marketing helps performance work harder and cost less.
Brands with high awareness achieved 2.86 times higher conversion rates than brands with low awareness.
The data showed that as brand awareness increases, conversion rates rise significantly, proving that awareness is a key driver of performance marketing success.
Clicks Don’t Tell the Whole Story
High click-through rates (CTR) and ROAS are tempting goals, but the study found no direct link between CTR and brand awareness. This reinforces the belief that high CTR doesn’t necessarily reflect brand health.
Companies that rely only on short-term campaigns lose attention once the ads stop. Companies with a strong brand awareness stay top of mind, even when nothing is running. The goal is to build a brand that organically leaves a strong impression, supplemented with high CTR and ROAS.
Brand and Performance Work Better Together
The best brands use both. Brand builds emotional connection and defines the tone and visual identity. Performance turns that into action at scale.
At BILLIONMONSTERS, we start with brand values and organic strategy. Then we layer in email flows and automations, paid ads, and content to drive results.
Conclusion
Brand and performance work best together. Brand marketing builds awareness through social media and storytelling. Performance turns that awareness into sales through ads and email.
TikTok and Tracksuit found that brands with 40 percent awareness are 43 percent more efficient, and high-awareness brands see 2.86 times higher conversion rates.
To grow, start with brand. Stay consistent, build community, and let performance amplify the results.
