Communicating Brand Values

Marketing has two big jobs, but we're usually judged on only one. Our job in marketing splits into two parts: Building mental availability: making sure people know who we are and remember us when they’re ready to buy. This is often called brand marketing. Activating demand: making sure that people who are ready to buy choose us. This is typically performance or demand marketing. Here’s the challenge — most of our metrics (MQLs, pipeline, revenue) are tied to demand activation. But brand and demand aren’t separate – they work together. Still, they behave differently and aren’t always easy to measure in the same way. Brand is like staying in shape. You go to the gym, eat healthy, and take care of yourself. You don’t always see instant results, but over time, your body gets stronger. → In marketing terms: We want more people to know us, remember us, and think of us when they’re ready to buy. This is a long-term game. Demand activation is like showing up on race day. You’ve trained for months, and now it’s time to perform. If you’re fit, you’ll likely do well. → In marketing terms: When someone’s ready to buy, our goal is to be easy to find and hard to ignore. Most of the time, our execs care about the race day numbers – leads, opps, deals. That’s fair, because those drive revenue. But if we don’t also take care of our brand (our fitness), performance eventually suffers. So what do we do? We need to measure both. Performance marketing already has clear metrics. But brand often feels fuzzy — hard to prove it’s working. That’s why Share of Search (SoS) is useful. It’s a quantifiable way to track how much people are searching for our brand compared to competitors. It acts like a “brand scoreboard”, so we can see how campaigns are moving the needle, even if the revenue impact comes later. So: Use performance metrics for activation (leads, opps, CAC, etc.) Use Share of Search as the north star for brand Run both in parallel, and know that each supports the other Two different motions. Two different metrics. One goal: revenue growth.

Have written about it in the past too, but strength of a brand cannot be measured by vanity metrics like number of award winning commercials, social media engagement/following or what other marketers think about the brand Here are 5 hard measurable business/marketing metrics which will tell you how strong your brand is 1. Price Elasticity of Demand: This is the measurement of change in demand with respect to the Price Elasticity= Percentage Change in Demand/Percentage Change in Price If you have a strong brand, you will have a lower price elasticity. Ideally as brand strength grows, the price elasticity should keep reducing 2. Contribution of Discounted Sales: Every brand has a standard market operating price( which could be MRP in few categories). And brands also have some sales through consumer discounts which are over and above the MOP Discounted Sales Contribution= Sales Volume with Discounts/ Total Sales Volume If you have a strong brand, the contribution of discounted sales will be lower. The ability to have more sales at the market operating price is a sign of a strong brand 3. Performance Ads Driven Sales: Every brand will have some organic sales( brand searches, repeats, Marketplace SEO etc) and some paid sales( Amazon ads, Google/FB ads) Performance Ads Driven Sales Percentage= Sales due to ads/Total Sales If you have a strong brand, the contribution of ads driven sales will be lower. A strong brand has higher repeats, higher brand searches and rank organically on top for generic searches on marketplaces 4. Performance Ads Driven Visitors: On the D2C website as well as marketplace listings, brands get both organic( brand searches and SEO) and paid ( Amazon Ads, Google/FB ads) visitors While the previous metric of ads driven sales is difficult for overall attribution( people clicking on ads to come to D2C website buys organically from marketplace is common), this is a easier metric to calculate Percentage of Performance Ads Driven Visitors= (Ads driven visitors on Marketplaces+ Ads driven visitors on D2C)/ (Total Visitors on Marketplaces+ Total Visitors on D2C) As brand strength grows, percentage of ads driven visitors should keep reducing 5. Share of Spends/Market Share: Share of spends in a category is the marketing spends done by the brand as a percentage of spends done by the entire category in a year. If a brand has a higher market share than share of spends, it means 2 things - Higher Conversion Rates & More Efficient Marketing Engine - High Baseline Sales When brands start, they would most likely have higher SOS than market share( as baseline is 0). But as brand strength grows, this number should be lower Strong brands should result in strong businesses. Done right, Investment in Brand Building always pay off financially. It means stronger brands are less reliant on performance marketing, discounts and can increase prices without drop in volumes.

Culture is everything 🙏🏾 When leaders accept or overlook poor behaviour, they implicitly endorse those actions, potentially eroding the organisation’s values and morale. To build a thriving culture, leaders must actively shape it by refusing to tolerate behaviour that contradicts their values and expectations.
 The best leaders: 
 1. Define and Communicate Core Values: * Articulate Expectations: Clearly define and communicate the organisation’s core values and behavioural expectations. Make these values central to every aspect of the organisation’s operations and culture. * Embed Values in Policies: Integrate these values into your policies, procedures, and performance metrics to ensure they are reflected in daily operations. 
 2. Model the Behaviour You Expect: * Lead by Example: Demonstrate the behaviour you want to see in others. Your actions should reflect the organisation’s values, from how you interact with employees to how you handle challenges. 3. Address Poor Behaviour Promptly: * Act Quickly: Confront and address inappropriate behaviour as soon as it occurs. Delays in addressing issues can lead to a culture of tolerance for misconduct. * Apply Consistent Consequences: Ensure that consequences for poor behaviour are fair, consistent, and aligned with organisational values. This reinforces that there are clear boundaries and expectations.
 4. Foster a Culture of Accountability: * Encourage Self-Regulation: Promote an environment where everyone is encouraged to hold themselves and others accountable for their actions. * Provide Support: Offer resources and support for employees to understand and align with organisational values, helping them navigate challenges and uphold standards.
 5. Seek and Act on Feedback: * Encourage Open Communication: Create channels for employees to provide feedback on behaviour and organisational culture without fear of reprisal. * Respond Constructively: Act on feedback to address and rectify issues. This shows that you value employee input and are committed to maintaining a positive culture.
 6. Celebrate Positive Behaviour: * Recognise and Reward: Acknowledge and reward employees who exemplify the organisation’s values. Celebrating positive behaviour reinforces the desired culture and motivates others to follow suit. * Share Success Stories: Highlight examples of how upholding values has led to positive outcomes, reinforcing the connection between behaviour and organisational success.
 7. Invest in Leadership Development: * Provide Training: Offer training and development opportunities for leaders at all levels to enhance their skills in managing behaviour and fostering a positive culture. 8. Promote Inclusivity and Respect: * Build a Diverse Environment: Create a culture that respects and values diversity. Inclusivity strengthens the organisational fabric and fosters a more collaborative and supportive work environment.

I think we’re measuring the wrong stuff… and it’s quietly killing momentum. 2026 has to be the year we fix it. Impressions. Clicks. MQLs. “Engagement.” The real game is happening in DMs, Slack threads, forwarded newsletters, and meetings. Here are 6 metrics I’d focus on in 2026 GTM (and why they matter). 1) Conversations → conversions What it is: Of the conversations your content starts, how many turn into a real next step (intro, meeting, opp). Why it matters: Content doesn’t “generate leads.” It generates conversations. Pipeline comes from what you do next. How to track: Tag every inbound convo (DM/email/reply) and mark the outcome: no fit / nurture / meeting / opp. 2) REAL ICPs engaging with content What it is: Not “engagement.” Engagement from the right people (titles, seniority, company tier, intent). Why it matters: 1 CFO at a target account > 1,000 random likes. How to track: Maintain an ICP list (titles + account tiers) and measure: % of engagers who match ICP of target accounts engaged per week repeat ICP engagers (X touches in 30 days) 3) Brand mentions inside ICP-relevant conversations What it is: How often your brand comes up when your ICP is discussing the problem you solve (not when you post). Why it matters: This is the difference between “content that performs” and a brand that gets recommended. How to track: Collect signals: customer calls (“we heard about you from…”), community moderators, partner chatter, dark social screenshots, and sales intel. Even a simple monthly “mention log” works. 4) Conversation velocity What it is: The speed from publish → first qualified conversation, and from convo → meeting. Why it matters: Velocity is the earliest indicator your messaging is landing. If it’s slow, you’re not sharp enough yet. How to track: time-to-first-ICP-convo after a post/report time-to-meeting after first touch “conversation depth” score (comment → DM → problem share → meeting ask) 5) Brand + category position What it is: Are you being associated with a clear “lane” (category/point of view) or just “a vendor who posts”? Why it matters: In 2026, positioning is distribution. If people can’t summarize your POV in one sentence, you’re invisible. How to track: Quarterly “message recall” check: ask prospects/customers: “What do we do?” “What do we believe?” “What are we known for?” 6) Dark social + word-of-mouth What it is: The off-platform sharing that actually drives deals: forwards, screenshots, Slack drops, “my friend sent me this.” Why it matters: A huge percentage of B2B buying happens in private. If your GTM can’t see dark social, you’re flying blind. How to track: “How did you find us?” (mandatory field) inbound screenshots / Slack mentions private replies after posts If your 2026 GTM dashboard doesn’t include conversations, ICP quality, dark social, and category position, it’s going to keep optimizing for attention… while someone else captures intent.

𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗦𝗠𝗦. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁. That's a criminal misuse of WhatsApp that’s quietly killing retention for both D2C and B2B brands. Brands get access to the WhatsApp API, upload a list, and hit “Send to All.” It feels efficient. But it creates what we call the broadcast trap, a pattern that burns through customer trust fast. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸: Without enough personalization, messages feel generic and irrelevant. Customers start ignoring future messages after 1–2 interactions. Engagement and repeat purchase rates drop significantly. We’ve seen this across hundreds of brands before they changed their strategy to: → 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Messages are sent based on user actions, such as abandoned carts, product views, or purchase inactivity. → 𝗦𝗲𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁-𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Returning customers, first-timers, and high-LTV buyers each get a different experience. → 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: Instead of one big push, messages are sent at the right moment — like 2 hours after a missed checkout, or 1 day before an offer expires. → 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Each interaction builds on the last instead of restarting from scratch → 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝘁-𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴: Customers feel in control, not spammed. → 𝟮 -𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Hooking each message with contextual chatbots that continue the conversation. 1-way announcements don’t work, 2-way chats do. Here’s what changes when the 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆: Higher conversion rates Better repeat purchase rates Dramatically fewer unsubscribes and spam reports That’s the power of doing WhatsApp 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. And for those wondering how brands manage this kind of personalization at scale? They use tools that make it effortless (we built one we’re pretty proud of 😉).

How many times have you logged on to Linkedin and found yet another email that starts with: "Hey [First Name]," followed by a generic pitch that does not concern your interests or needs. Sound familiar? We've all been there. And it's frustrating. As a fractional CMO/Consultant, I've seen this happen repeatedly. Businesses think they're doing personalization right but need to do better. It's not enough to use someone's name or company. 👉🏾 True personalization is about understanding their challenges, goals, and needs. For example, on LinkedIn, scroll through their feed and see what they post, talk about, like, and comment on. This helps as a starting ground on how to approach them and what to discuss. So, instead of sending a LinkedIn message that says: "I'd love to connect and learn more about your business," try something like: "I noticed you're working on [specific project]. I have some ideas on how you could [achieve a specific goal]. Would you be open to a quick chat?" See the difference? It's not just about being personal; it's about being relevant. And when you're relevant, you're not annoying — you're helpful. 👉🏾 So, think about this the next time you craft a personalized outreach campaign. →"Would I find this message valuable? →Does it address my specific needs and interests?" If the answer is no, it's time to return to the drawing board. 👉🏾 Also, tools like Crystal Knows help you fine-tune your message and tone when reaching out to maximize the impact of every conversation. Let's aim for genuinely helpful messages, not just another annoyance in their inbox. What do you think about personalized outreach? #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #leadgeneration #ABM

People don’t care about your brand. (They care about the person behind it.)   Your audience craves authenticity Not a corporate mask. They want to feel connected, not marketed to.   The only Marketing Formula you need: Personalization + Connection + Value = Brand-to-Individual Marketing   This formula works, but remove just one part and it fails.   Without PERSONALIZATION Marketing becomes generic.   Without CONNECTION Marketing feels fake and disconnected. Without VALUE Marketing becomes empty.   How to make it work?   Personalization: - Understand your audience. - Tailor your message to their needs. - Make them feel heard.   Connection: - Engage on a human level. - Build trust with genuine communication. - People want to feel valued.   Value: - Solve problems, don’t just sell. - Offer real solutions that improve lives.   When brands show their human side, trust grows. This isn’t just a trend, it’s how businesses will thrive.   It’s time to stop hiding behind a logo. Show your face, build trust, and create real relationships.   Future-proof your marketing by getting personal. The more personal you get The more loyal your customers will be.   P.S. How personal is your brand, really?

Are we overdoing personalization? That’s a question we, as marketers, need to ask, seriously. With #AI and data fueling everything, personalization has become the default play. And yes, it works. Relevance converts. But there’s a thin line between targeted and too much. Take this: I was chatting with a friend about a restaurant, and a moment later, ads for it popped up on my phone. Coincidence? Maybe. Intrusive?Absolutely!  That kind of personalization doesn’t feel smart, it feels like surveillance. Now flip that. I’m a Privilege Club member with Qatar Airways. Their loyalty program? A masterclass in mindful personalization. From family pooling to seamless redemptions across partners, every interaction feels curated, not creepy. It’s not just that they know me, it’s that they respect my privacy. That’s the difference. So no, it’s not about dialing up personalization. It’s about dialing up intent. Because the best brands aren’t asking “Can we personalize this?” They’re asking: “Should we?” True personalization respects context, consent, and timing. The smartest brands won’t just personalize more. They’ll personalize with care and with purpose.

Brand conversations, especially in earlier-stage B2B organizations, get stuck when we treat “brand” as a fuzzy idea instead of a measurable driver of pipeline. We covered brand and demand, working together, in last week's CMO Coffee Talk sessions. And we asked each attendee to share how they are measuring brand strength and impact today. Out of hundreds of responses, here's what stood out. What CMOs are primarily measuring: 🔥 Awareness (aided/unaided) and branded search volume as leading indicators 🔥 Consideration/shortlist rates and first-page SEO/AEO visibility 🔥 Perception/sentiment, PR reach, review-site ratings and analyst recognition 🔥 Supplementary signals: NPS/CSAT, eNPS, and % of TAM reached/engaged How leaders frame “brand” internally: Many avoid the word altogether and talk about awareness, reputation and future pipeline/early demand indicators. This focuses more on the "job to be done" and helps connect the dots to revenue. Programs most tied to measurable lift: ➕ Consistent winners were content/PR & thought leadership, Share of Search/SEO/GEO programs, events & sponsorships/keynotes, and customer advocacy initiatives. ➕ Several leaders emphasized brand-exposed cohort analysis over last-click attribution to show lift in conversion, win rate, and sales-cycle time. A few practical brand KPIs CMOs are pivoting to this quarter and into 2026: 🧮 Market indicators: Share of Search; branded search & direct visits; aided/unaided awareness; consideration/shortlist 🧮 Trust & authority: sentiment/attributes; analyst placement; review-site ratings; NPS/CSAT; eNPS 🧮 Pipeline linkage: cohort-based lifts for brand-exposed audiences (opportunity creation, win rate, cycle time) TL:DR: If you’re fighting for "brand" budget, lead with the market indicators and tie them to cohort-level pipeline outcomes (including top of funnel interest/awareness indicators). This creates a straight line from “brand work” to business impact without pretending every dollar should show up in last-touch.

I get it. Brand feels intangible, hard to prove, and frustrating to justify in executive meetings and boardrooms. It's been the story of my life for almost twenty years. So, last week, I shared a brand score framework to hopefully help. I'm sharing it again to provide a little more context to the deliverable. This guide breaks down the why, how, and what next of brand measurement. Why Is Measuring Brand So Hard? Most leaders know brand is important. “Oh yeah, brand is the rizz.” But the same people talking about rizz expect immediate results—revenue, efficiency, valuation. The challenge? (1) Brand impact is long-term, while execs focus on short-term revenue. (2) Brand influence on sales is indirect but still real. (3) Brand must align with financial KPIs or risk losing investment. Marketing needs a better way to prove brand value. How Brand Ties to Business Outcomes: Brand doesn’t just "exist"—it affects acquisition, retention, and pricing power. Here's how to connect it to financial impact: Increase Branded Search Traffic >>> Lower CAC Orangic Website Traffic Growth >>> Higher inbound pipeline Social Engagement Growth >>> More efficient sales cycles Customer Advocacy & Reviews >>> Higher deal velocity & expansion $$ Brand Awareness + PR >>> higher valuation multiples Share of Voice & Analyst >>> Increase inbound interest NPS >>> Higher retention Brand-building’s impact compounds over time. Use predictive modeling to show future value. Here are some ideas: Branded CAC vs. Non-Branded CAC – Show that branded inbound leads cost less over time by comparing CAC trends. Sales Cycle Compression Model – Measure the reduction in sales cycle duration for accounts exposed to brand content. Brand Awareness & Future Revenue Impact – Track branded search traffic increases and their correlation to pipeline growth. Okay... back to the brand score, we want to measure across six weighted categories: Brand Awareness, Brand Trust & Reputation, Brand Differentiation, Brand Engagement, Brand Consistency, and Brand Perceived Value. And it's super important to measure across all six pillars. Check out the image for more context on weighting and what to measure. How to Calculate Your Brand Score: (1) Score each category on a 1-10 scale using internal and external data. (2) Apply weights and calculate a final Brand Score out of 100. (3) Track progress over time and compare with competitors. Brand measurement isn’t a "nice to have". It’s the key to unlocking categories and growth. This is also new for me, so I would love feedback on whether anyone has implemented a version of this.