‘Marketing doesn’t stop when KPIs are met’

As marketing continues to evolve, the industry is moving beyond the traditional divide between brand-building and performance marketing. Increasingly, brands and agencies are finding ways to strike a sustainable balance – one that delivers measurable outcomes without compromising long-term brand equity.

Achieving this equilibrium requires more than media optimisation or creative excellence; it demands that organisations stay close to their customers, remain true to their values, embrace change and continuously challenge the status quo. It calls for a mindset grounded in curiosity, adaptability and cross-functional alignment.

Crucially, it also means recognising that marketing doesn’t stop when performance KPIs are met – it continues through the entire customer journey, shaping experience, influencing loyalty and contributing to business performance at every level. In competitive and digitally mature markets such as the UAE, this approach is enabling forward-thinking brands to align marketing objectives with broader organisational impact.

The demands of today’s market – especially in high-stakes industries such as automotive –have made it clear: performance and brand are not opposing forces, but interdependent pillars of success. Performance marketing delivers measurable outcomes and speed to market. Brand-building fosters long-term value, emotional connection and differentiation. However, neither discipline achieves its full potential in isolation.

Campaign success today depends on how well marketing integrates with commercial teams, customer experience functions, operational workflows and – most importantly – the customer voice.

At Al Masaood, we’ve seen that the most effective campaigns are not created in a vacuum. They are shaped through alignment between departments: CEOs providing strategic direction, general managers and product teams contributing market insight, customer experience (CX) and aftersales validating operational readiness, finance and procurement ensuring commercial feasibility and analysts supplying insights that link performance to business outcomes.

The customer, too, must be part of this equation. The model has shifted from customer-centric to customer inclusive. Marketing today begins not with assumptions, but with listening – through research, conversation and engagement. Campaigns are stronger when customers are involved from the outset, not only validating messaging but influencing its direction. This approach increases relevance and trust – before a single dirham is spent on media.

Agencies are evolving as well. The most forward-thinking partners now offer integrated services that blend media with creative and short-term conversion with long-term brand positioning. Agile frameworks are being deployed where brand storytelling informs data strategy and performance outcomes feed back into the creative process. This dynamic cycle – often supported by real-time analytics and collaborative working models – is helping brands avoid fragmentation and build full-funnel coherence.

Personalisation has become another area where balance is key. Brands are leveraging data to deliver more relevant experiences, but the line between relevance and intrusion must be carefully managed. When hyper personalisation feels excessive or poorly timed, it compromises trust. Responsible marketing practices – shaped in collaboration with data governance, legal and customer experience teams – ensure that targeting is respectful, not exploitative.

Sustainability is also no longer a standalone message. It is increasingly being embedded into campaign narratives across all stages of the funnel. Whether through promoting fuel efficiency, responsible ownership, or eco-conscious practices, customers expect substance behind the messaging. For marketing to credibly speak on these topics, alignment with product teams, supply chain and leadership is essential. A sustainability message must be a reflection of the business, not just the brand.

Internally, organisations are transforming their operating models to support this convergence. Marketing is gaining a seat at the strategic table – not only to lead creative output, but to influence pricing, positioning, digital transformation and customer journey design. Campaign squads that include CX, digital, media, legal and commercial leads are becoming more common, enabling cross-functional accountability and greater organisational agility.

Ultimately, what we are witnessing is a necessary evolution: marketing as a business function, not just a communications function. It orchestrates strategy, ensures coherence and reflects the company’s readiness to serve its customers – not just attract them.

The brands and agencies that are striking the right balance between brand and performance are those that understand the need for integration across people, platforms and purpose. They listen earlier, test more honestly, measure more holistically and adapt more courageously.

Because, in today’s world, the most effective marketing does not just drive leads or awareness – it drives alignment, consistency and long-term value. That is the real balance – and the brands that master it are building something far greater than campaigns. They’re building momentum.

By Delia Sandu, Head of Marketing, Al Masaood Automobiles