Stop the marketing hamster wheel

This newsletter comes from the hosts of The Marketing Architects, a research-first show answering your biggest marketing questions. Find us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts!

 

Performance marketing feels amazing until it doesn't. This week, we're tackling when you should stop pouring more money into performance and start investing in brand. 

—Elena  

 

Brand equity has a strong positive impact on ecommerce behavior.        

That’s according to a study of 500 online shoppers and shows that the emotional lift caused by brand marketing translated into more positive experiences overall for customers. 

 

Warning: your performance engine is sputtering.                 

We all love the dopamine hit of performance marketing. Immediate results. Clear attribution. Happy CFO. 

But when the engine starts to sputter, it's time to evolve. Here's how to spot trouble brewing. 

1. The money pit effect. You're spending more to acquire each customer, but they're worth the same as always. That math doesn't work forever.

2. The treadmill's getting faster. Tests that used to move the needle now barely register. You're running harder just to stay in place.

3. Big fish, small pond. Established competitors with stronger brands are outbidding you for keywords left and right.

4. Nobody's Googling you. Direct traffic? Flat. Brand searches? Crickets. Social mentions? Tumbleweeds.

5. Discount dependency. You're leaning harder on price cuts to maintain sales. 

Brand investment doesn't mean throwing money at unmeasurable channels. Think of brand as a charger for performance. It warms people up before they encounter your call to action. This familiarity increases click-through rates, lowers your cost per click, and boosts conversion rates once visitors land on your site. 

Listen in on our discussion.

 

“Brand Equity, Brand Satisfaction and Brand Loyalty: A Study of Select E-Commerce Industry”     

This research from the University of Delhi examines how brand equity affects consumer behavior in ecommerce, finding that brand marketing improves customers' overall satisfaction with the shopping experience.

Read the research.

 

 

How your audience thinks of you matters.          

“Products are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mind." 

— Walter Landor, brand designer