Every powerful message starts with a deeper truth. We are saturated with a high volume of ads and fleeting trends. It’s easy to confuse activity with impact, but at the heart of any lasting communication is the essence of a brand – the values it stands for and the story it tells.
Branding is not merely a layer of gloss added at the end of a marketing plan; it is the foundation of all communication.
Without it, tactical messaging becomes a short-term fix, a burst of noise that fades as quickly as it arrives. To achieve long term impact and resonance, brands must instill tactical campaigns and slogans with brand messages that build a foundation rooted in authenticity and vision.
Why short-term thinking is not sustainable
Tactical messaging plays an important role in any brand’s strategy, driving immediate results like increased sales, boosted engagement, or a surge in clicks. Although these campaigns are critical for achieving short-term business goals, their impact is short lived.
The messaging may be forgotten, but the emotional impact remains. This is what builds a lasting connection to the brand. Marketers must integrate the voice of the brand within the campaign narrative.
Brands such as Emirates and Apple have mastered this approach, becoming greater than the products or services they offer. They have evolved into symbols, movements, and even extensions of their customers’ identities. Every campaign they create is anchored in their core values, consistently reinforcing their purpose. Every advert is part of a bigger narrative.
This alignment creates opportunities for reinforcing the intangible connection with target audiences, leading to higher customer lifetime value.
To achieve a strong, sustainable narrative, brands need to start by defining the key messages that make them unique. This must then be clearly and tactfully articulated. It should be at the core of all brand messaging and communications. Every tactical effort must serve as a building block for long-term brand equity.
Brand values play the long game
Longevity and equity of a brand does not happen by chance, it is planned and intentional. A conscious decision at inception makes the way forward much clearer.
Business decisions, partnerships, and where to invest resources are milestone markers instead of being goal posts. Every communication, every advert, every social media post and every media interview is part of a bigger plan, a roadmap.
Branding is more about the emotional impact rather than information sharing – every marketer knows this. Effective marketing communicates brands tap into this emotional economy, creating intangible value that goes deeper.
Brands that leverage the emotional economy enjoy loyalty, advocacy and relevance even in shifting business environments and fading trends.
Innovation that serves a bigger purpose
When guided by a brand’s values, innovation becomes purposeful, helping in completing the bigger picture and solving challenges that matter.
A strong brand narrative is a springboard for innovative ideas, concepts and processes. Every discipline works in coherence with others and creative efforts are channeled effectively.
This enables brands to build a living legacy.
Finally, I believe that purpose-driven brands will continue to flourish irrespective of evolving markets, generations, technologies and regulations.
A brand’s values are the soul of its story, a magnet that pulls its audience. Successful brands don’t just tell their story, they live it.
By Meenakshi Kanchandani, Marketing Director at Sankari.
