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You Can’t Performance Your Way to Brand Equity

How to communicate "brand" to the boardroom

Author

Beth Chapman
July 16, 2025

“60% of long-term marketing effectiveness comes from brand-building, not performance.”

– Binet & Field, The Long and the Short of It

So why do most boards still think ‘brand’ is the bloat and ‘performance’ is the real work?

The Brand vs. Performance False Dichotomy

The myth: 
Performance marketing = ROI.
Brand = “expensive/ can’t track / let’s figure it out later.”

The reality: 
Performance gives you short-term wins.
Brand gives you sustainable growth, pricing power, and long-term defensibility.

“Brands that invest 60:40 (brand:performance) grow more sustainably than those who go 100% performance.”

Binet & Field - Marketing Experts
❝

Mental availability drives market share – and you don’t get that with bottom-funnel ads alone.

Byron Sharp - Marketing Expert

How to Talk ‘Brand’ in a Language the Board Understands

  • Instead of: “We need to invest in brand storytelling”
    Say: “Our CAC is rising because people don’t know us. Building awareness lowers acquisition costs and increases conversion at every touchpoint.”

  • Instead of: “We need better packaging”
    Say: “Distinctive assets improve recall, increase shelf visibility, and directly impact velocity per SKU.”

  • Instead of: “We want to shoot a brand film”
    Say: “We’re creating a scalable asset to increase emotional connection, drive earned media, and reduce long-term media costs.”

Brand is Performance.
Just Measured Differently.
A Short Poem

Brand and performance, often misread,
One’s the sprint, the other’s the thread.

Performance sparks – a quick, bright flame,
Click, convert, then onto the next game.

But brand? Brand’s the quiet storm –
It’s what keeps hearts beating warm.

The match burns out, the gas endures,
Brand builds value that performance secures.

So next time they say "what's the ROI?"
Just smile, and whisper: “loyalty never dies.”

Why Investors Should Care

  • Brand increases investor confidence.

  • It’s the difference between a product and a company.

  • Brand is IP for most consumer businesses.

  • Investors don’t just buy metrics. They buy vision, velocity, and value perception.

Your Cheat Sheet: How to Pitch Brand to Commercial Minds

Brand Investment

Commercial Framing

Redesigning packaging

Drives shelf conversion + price premium + product engagement

Social-first content

Builds mental availability + reduces CAC

Brand partnerships

Accelerates awareness + adds credibility

Rebranding

Unlocks new markets + increases perceived value

Thought leadership / PR

Builds trust = faster conversion cycle

Metrics to track:

  1. Branded search volume

  2. Organic direct traffic

  3. Price elasticity (can you charge more?)

  4. LTV uplift from improved NPS

Closing thought:

❝

"No one remembers a discount. Everyone remembers a feeling."
Performance gets the sale. Brand builds the business.

Said me, Beth.

Stay Bold, Stay Brilliant

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Let’s make moves,
Beth

Disclaimer: I share advice from my own experience. Every business is unique, so tailor these ideas to fit your needs.