Marketers across the GCC are reassessing the role of brand in driving growth, as new research from leading independent creative agency JWI reveals a growing tension between long-term strategy and short-term performance demands.
According to JWI’s ‘Marketing Through Uncertainty’ report, 57 per cent of senior marketing leaders identify brand-building as the primary driver of long-term growth, yet 72 per cent say their current focus remains on short-term performance, highlighting the reality many teams face in balancing immediate results with sustained brand value.
The study, based on insights from senior marketing leaders across sectors, including FMCG, technology, F&B, aviation and consumer electronics, points to a shift in how marketing effectiveness is being understood – and the constraints limiting how this is applied in practice.
Marketing is being recalibrated, not paused
Despite ongoing uncertainty, brands are not stepping back from marketing activity, they are adjusting how it is delivered.
While 71 per cent of respondents report delaying or pausing campaigns, this is rarely a standalone action. In 80 per cent of cases, it is combined with other changes, including budget reallocation, messaging shifts and increased customer communication.
This suggests a more deliberate approach, with marketers intentionally refining channel strategy and creative output, rather than withdrawing from the market entirely.
Brand regains strategic importance
The research highlights a renewed emphasis on brand as a driver of growth.
Both brand equity and long-term customer loyalty were cited by 57 per cent of respondents, with regional and cultural relevance also ranking highly at 43 per cent, reflecting the importance of connection and context in the GCC market.
In contrast, only 14 per cent identified performance marketing as a primary driver of long-term growth, suggesting a growing recognition that short-term conversion alone is insufficient to sustain momentum.
A structural tension for marketers: brand versus performance
The findings point to a disconnect between what marketers believe drives growth, and how marketing is currently executed.
While brand is widely understood to underpin long-term performance, short-term commercial pressures continue to shape decision-making, measurement and investment.
Charli Wright, Owner and CEO, JWI, said. “There is clear alignment on what drives long-term growth, but the way marketing is measured hasn’t caught up. Marketers are being asked to deliver immediate results, while also building long-term value. That tension is shaping how decisions are made day to day.”
Wright added, “The opportunity now is to move beyond reactive planning and build strategies that can sustain performance over time – not just in stable conditions, but under pressure.”
From reaction to resilience
The report suggests that the role of marketing in the region is evolving.
Rather than focusing purely on short-term demand generation, marketers are increasingly expected to contribute to business resilience – building brand platforms, customer trust and adaptable strategies that can perform in changing conditions.
