Stop chasing Clicks. start Building deeper Connections.
Why Brands That Obsess Over Impressions Are Losing the Long Game
You got 2 million impressions.
Cool.
But how many people actually give a sh*t?
In the age of performance dashboards and real-time reporting, brands have become addicted to the metrics that look good on paper—but mean very little in practice. Clicks. Impressions. ROAS. CPMs. They're easy to track, easy to optimize, and easy to celebrate.
But here’s the problem:
They don’t tell you if your brand matters.
And the truth is—most don’t.
The Performance Trap Is Real (And Dangerous)
It’s not your fault.
Marketing teams today are under enormous pressure to prove value fast. So the reflex is to grab for the nearest, neatest number. The one that can be turned into a dashboard. The one that shows a spike. The one that can be gamed into a win.
But high impressions just mean you paid for eyeballs.
High CTR might mean your copy tricked someone into clicking—but it doesn’t mean they felt anything.
ROAS tells you what came back, not what stuck.
As strategist and author Ana Andjelic put it:
“We’ve been optimizing for the wrong outcomes—then wondering why brand loyalty is falling off a cliff.”
Short-term numbers make us feel productive. But they rarely make people fall in love with a brand.
And that’s where most marketing strategies quietly fail.
Clicks Fade. Brand Preference Compounds.
Here’s what actually moves the needle:
Brand Preference.
It’s not a vanity metric. It’s a resilience metric.
Preferred brands are chosen more often, recommended more frequently, and forgiven when they mess up.
In our 10-minute read, we noted four metrics that are failing CMOs:
ROAS is short-sighted.
Impressions are empty.
NPS is lagging.
Funnels are broken.
What replaces them? Brand Preference.
Because it reflects emotional connection, not just behavioral output. And it builds momentum even when the market slows down.
Brands with high preference:
Don’t have to discount as heavily.
Retain more loyal customers.
Bounce back faster when conditions improve.
That’s not just brand health—it’s business health.
Real Example: Clicks vs. Connection
Let’s keep it simple:
Brand A
10 million impressions
0.5% CTR
Low recall
Few repeat purchases
Brand B
1 million impressions
Devoted community
Strong message resonance
High repeat rate and organic sharing
Brand A gets celebrated in the marketing meeting.
Brand B builds a business that lasts.
Which one are you building?
How to Shift from Performance to Preference
This isn’t about killing performance marketing. It’s about recalibrating your strategy to value what actually builds love.
Here’s where to start:
Audit your KPIs.
Are you measuring data points… or love?Rebalance your spend.
Invest in brand-building moments that create emotional resonance and memory—those compound.Own an emotional territory.
Know what you stand for and make it unforgettable.Be consistent across every touchpoint.
Brands aren’t built through one campaign. They’re built through repetition, recognition, and connection.
As branding expert Deb Gabor says:
“The future belongs to brands that matter. And mattering isn’t measured in clicks.”
Want to Know If People Actually Care About Your Brand?
That’s exactly why we created the Brand Preference Health Check-Up.
It’s a 60-minute, no-BS session designed to uncover what your audience really thinks and feels about your brand—followed by a next-day strategic action plan to help you build preference fast.
Or, if you’re not ready to talk, download our 10-minute read:
“Do Consumers Love Your Brand? Why Brand Preference is the Only Metric That Matters”
Because clicks come and go.
Connection is what lasts.
