Date
Q4 2025
Subject
Design, Marketing
Something we commonly hear from clients is the hesitancy to invest in brand. A lot of teams are under immense pressure to show immediate results, so they lean on tactics that deliver quick wins like discounts, promos, or direct-response campaigns. Those moves work in the short term but the results fade fast, and suddenly you are back where you started.
That is where brand building comes in. The purpose of brand building is to lift up the whole marketing system so you don’t always have to rely on paid platforms to do the heavy lifting. Think of it like tending a garden. If you pick the flowers too soon, they will never turn to fruit. That is no way to build something sustainable.
Brand Building = Long-Term Growth
Brand building is the slow, steady work of creating mental availability, the likelihood your company is remembered when people are ready to buy. When we worked with Gigs, we started small with a simple pitch deck that laid the foundation of their brand. Over the course of two years, that foundation grew into a full system. Suddenly, the team could spin up new branded assets quickly and efficiently, all while building recognition in a crowded category. That kind of equity is not something paid ads can buy. It is the result of consistent, long-term investment.
Research backs this up. The Ehrenberg Bass Institute has shown that mental availability, being top of mind when a customer is ready to act, is one of the most powerful drivers of long-term brand growth.
Sales Activation = Immediate Results
On the other side is sales activation. These are campaigns designed to capture demand right now. They are powerful because they drive immediate action. If you need a revenue boost this quarter, activation is the lever to pull. But it comes with a catch. Once the campaign ends, the impact usually fades. It is the sprint in the growth marathon, effective in short bursts but not a foundation you can run on forever.
The Balance = Sustainable Growth
The most effective strategy is not choosing between brand and sales, it is combining them. According to Binet and Field’s landmark study The Long and the Short of It, the optimal balance for most companies is around sixty percent investment in brand building and forty percent in sales activation. Brand creates future demand by ensuring people know you, like you, and trust you when they are ready to buy. Sales captures present demand by converting that awareness into action and revenue.
Together, they create a cycle where brand fills the funnel and sales converts it. Over time, that balance compounds into sustainable growth. Growth is not about picking sides. It is about building a brand that makes people remember you and creating campaigns that move them to act. Do both well and you get the best of both worlds, momentum now and a foundation that lasts.
Like what you just read? Want to team up and create something bold, weird, or just plain beautiful?
Let’s make it happen.
Drop us a line at contact@super-conscious.studio. We love meeting new people. And if it turns out we’re not the right fit, we’ll do our best to point you toward someone who is. That’s how good creative networks grow.