Forget Brand Strategy. You Need a Strategy for Your Brand.
Ad agencies want a seat at the C-suite table. But if the answer is always an ad campaign, they’re in the wrong meeting.
Everyone’s trying to get upstream.
Ad agencies are rebranding themselves as strategic partners. “Brand strategists” are being paraded into C-suite meetings. Decks are getting longer. Briefs are getting buzzier.
But here’s the problem:
At the end of the day, the outcome is still almost always an ad campaign.
And that’s exactly why these conversations fall flat.
Because an ad campaign isn’t always the answer to building a better brand future.
And “brand strategy” has become a proxy for advertising strategy.
It lives in agency land—developed to sell creative, not build businesses. When someone says they’re delivering a brand strategy, what they’re usually handing over is messaging, tone of voice, and maybe a persona or two.
That’s not strategy.
That’s execution.
The Strategy Shift CMOs Actually Need
What forward-thinking leaders are hungry for isn’t a 30-second TV commercial.
It’s clarity. Focus. Leverage.
It’s answers to questions like:
Why don’t people love our brand the way they used to?
Where should we double down—and where should we pull back?
What’s actually moving the needle?
That requires something bigger and more foundational:
A Strategy for the Brand—not just a “Brand Strategy.”
What’s the difference?
Brand Strategy vs. Strategy for the Brand
Messaging, tone of voice, campaigns vs. Strategic clarity across org + roadmap
Owned by agencies vs. Led by business leaders
Built for creative teams vs. Built for the business
Output = ad campaign vs. Output = growth, connection, love
The first is tactical. The second is transformative.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
81% of CMOs say they are under pressure to drive growth while cutting spend.
Yet 58% admit their brand is not clearly differentiated in-market.
(Source: Deloitte Global Marketing Trends, 2024)
And here’s the kicker:
According to McKinsey, companies that build strong emotional connections with consumers outperform their competitors by 85% in sales growth.
So why are we still solving brand challenges with campaign briefs?
That’s where Brand Preference comes in.
It’s not a marketing KPI—it’s a business lens.
It reveals what consumers really feel about your brand.
It shows you where love is lost, where momentum is building, and where to focus your energy next.
It’s how we help brands move from performance marketing to preferred brand.
From pushing product to pulling demand.
From agency-driven outputs to business-driven outcomes.
“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
Brand Preference tells you exactly what they’re saying—and what to do about it.
The Bottom Line
If you’re going to invest in your brand’s future, make sure it’s not just a fancier version of the same old story.
A Strategy for the Brand is what aligns your team, unlocks consumer love, and builds something built to last.
Anything less? Just another campaign.
Want to see how this works in practice?
Start with our Brand Preference Health Check-Up or check out our 10-minute Read: Do Consumers Love Your Brand? Why Brand Preference is the Only Metric That Matters.
It might just change how you look at your entire brand.
