Does the industry still play favourites between focusing their efforts on top of the funnel or the bottom of the funnel or have they achieved the balancing act. To find out the answers, we asked a cross-section of industry experts for their take.
Has the industry found the balance between brand and performance marketing?
Opinions were divided across the board. Here’s what each of them had to say:
NO
Adele Baxter, Client Services Director, JWI
It’s encouraging to see brands in the MEA region invest in brand-building. Yet, it’s premature to assume they’ve perfected the balance. One challenge brands face is the tendency to operate within siloed structures, which leads to fragmented campaigns and isolated channel management. Brands should adopt a holistic strategy, setting KPIs across the funnel and empowering teams to collaborate effectively. Given Gen Z’s growing spending power in the region and their strong emphasis on brand values, neglecting brand-building would be a critical oversight. Considering brand-building as part of any marketing strategy is essential to connect and build loyalty with this value-driven demographic.
NO
Palak Mody, Head of Marketing, Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group
Achieving a balanced approach between performance marketing and brand-building is essential, particularly in the dynamic F&B sector. While industry trends still show fluctuations in funnel focus – either leaning towards conversion-focused performance at the bottom or awareness campaigns at the top – the balance is crucial for sustainable growth. In my experience with international brands and in the Middle East’s competitive F&B market, the best results come from a blend: brand-building drives long-term loyalty and differentiation, while performance tactics ensure immediate ROI. Brands need to flexibly integrate both, adapting to shifting market dynamics while staying true to their core identity.
YES
Jeramie Jesalva, Global Marketing Director, Fine Hygienic Holding
The field recognises that to build brands that stand the test of time, marketers must employ evidence-based planning that strengthens both the brand and consumer connection. In my view, brand and performance marketing are inseparable; both are essential to success. It’s not a matter of choosing one over the other, but integrating them to make strategic, impactful decisions that drive long-term growth. There’s no bias between the top and bottom of the funnel – the focus should be on aligning activities with consumer needs and expectations in ways that support brand and business objectives.
NO
Juliana Ribeiro, Senior Marketing Manager, Viola Communication
Not yet. A key challenge for marketers is determining the right balance between short-term sales activities and long-term brand-building. What’s often overlooked in marketing strategies is the importance of aligning brand and performance marketing based on the unique business model and industry context. The value of each approach varies depending on factors like market maturity, customer behaviour and business objectives. Different sectors require different mixes to drive sustainable results. The most successful marketing solutions today integrate both approaches, delivering a holistic plan that adapts to the specific needs of the business and its market environment.
NO
Jemma Starzecki, Senior Vice President – Marketing, Al Ghurair Properties
With more than 17 years in marketing, I’ve witnessed the challenge of balancing brand and performance marketing, especially as performance marketing has surged in the last decade. While brand marketing is essential, its direct impact on performance is often hard to quantify, leading businesses to prioritise performance without adequate brand investment. However, with social media and new generations like Gen Z and Gen Alpha, brand storytelling is crucial – these audiences want a connection, not just ads. I advocate for strong brand marketing within an integrated, through-the-line plan, using brand efforts to elevate and amplify performance marketing outcomes.
YES
Nizar Malaeb, Marketing Director, Arabian Automobiles
There is a balance. True success lies in harmonising brand and performance. A strong brand establishes trust and resonance, laying the groundwork for customer connection, while performance marketing turns connection into conversion by delivering value-driven offers. However, for us, this synergy doesn’t end with a purchase but evolves into a partnership that ensures our clients are supported throughout the entire ownership experience. This interconnectivity of brand and performance allows us to create a seamless journey that fosters long-term loyalty, where each element plays a critical role in meeting customer needs and driving lasting growth.
NO
Aimee Peters, Regional Head, Brand, Partnerships and Wholesale Marketing – MENAT; Co-Lead, MarComms for Balance ERG – MENAT, HSBC Banking Middle East
Definitely, not. We are still obsessed with lower funnel at the expense of brand building. This is particularly true here in the region, where we still have far fewer home-grown global brands than we should have. Our regional unicorns that burst on to the global stage had brand-building investment at the outset. But big companies which score highly on brand trackers often punch below their weight in awareness or consideration trackers – highlighting the gap between company performance and brand. In a world of constant choice and fractured channels, customers need an emotional connection … to a brand. Must. Do. Better.
YES
Sherry White, Director of Marketing and Communications, Waldorf Astoria DIFC
In luxury hospitality, balancing brand-building with performance marketing is essential for sustained success. While performance marketing drives immediate conversions, the long-term loyalty in luxury hinges on a strong, aspirational brand presence. This balance means engaging guests emotionally at the top of the funnel, while thoughtfully guiding them toward conversion at the bottom. Each stage, from awareness to booking, should reflect our brand’s values and exclusivity. We have always embraced a full-funnel approach, integrating both brand-building and performance at every stage.
NO
Laura Gleadhill, General Manager at Keyade
But we are moving in the right direction to establish the right balance. The brand versus performance debate gained prominence in 2013 with The Long and Short of It, but it largely addressed campaign messaging rather than the channels used to deliver it. Over the past decade, particularly in the MENA region, the rapid growth of digital advertising has rendered this argument increasingly irrelevant. Today, the focus should not be on choosing between branding or performance but on understanding how to define KPIs for both, ensuring each contributes to business objectives. Branding KPIs should measure long-term impact on awareness and loyalty, while performance KPIs focus on immediate results such as conversions or ROI. By aligning these metrics, brands can create cohesive strategies that leverage the strengths of both approaches, delivering sustainable growth across the entire customer journey.
YES
Mitin Chakraborthy, Head of Marketing, Babyshop – Landmark Group
The industry is indeed finding a more balanced approach between performance marketing and brand building, driven by substantial progress in the ecosystem. In 2024, we see improved capabilities in data analytics, media optimisation tools and attribution models, along with a culture of better knowledge-sharing. This evolution is certainly allowing marketers to execute more informed, impactful strategies that bridge top-and-bottom-funnel objectives seamlessly. While business pressures continue to demand ROI through bottom-funnel campaigns, even these have seen a shift. Execution standards and user experience are being prioritised more than ever, contributing positively to brand perception even during conversion-focused activities.
Another critical factor driving this balance is the evolving consumer expectations in the Middle East. Customers now demand cohesive and authentic brand experiences, making it essential for even performance-driven campaigns to align with brand values, especially for omnichannel businesses such as ours.
And finally, marketers have come to understand that long-term brand equity and short-term sales are not mutually exclusive but inherently complementary.
Ultimately, the industry realises that a brand is only as strong as its business performance, and vice versa. There’s no sustainable brand without consistent business growth, and no sustainable business without a resilient brand.
NO
Ryan Garner, Chief Activation Officer – MENA, Assembly Global
Boardroom and bottom-line impatience are something that can inhibit brand building and long-term sales growth. The immediacy and measurability of performance activity sees many advertisers overlook brand health and nurturing. Equilibrium is more accessible than most think. Rapid MMM, awareness tracking and perception analysis – among others – are critical tools that surface not only campaign brand impact but also transformational insight for performance activation. Incorporating deeper brand tracking and wider attribution can supercharge everything from audience to creative to NPS, ultimately providing a balanced scorecard of measures that truly matter to drive more sustainable brand growth as well as influencing all-important immediate returns.
