For digital marketing agencies, the pressure to deliver instant results through performance marketing is intense. Clients demand measurable results—clicks, conversions, and ROI. Yet, as Les Binet and Peter Field emphasized in The Long and the Short of It, focusing solely on short-term gains can undermine efforts to build a strong brand in the long run.
This creates a critical need to strike the right balance between short-term performance marketing and long-term brand growth.
The false choice: brand building vs performance marketing
In his 2020 follow-up article The Wrong and the Short of It, Tom Roach introduced the term “Wrong Termism” to describe a recurring issue: marketers being trapped in an either/or mindset—brand building vs performance, emotional connection vs rational persuasion, long-term brand equity vs short-term sales.
The truth? These are not opposing strategies, but complementary forces. The most effective marketing strategies integrate both.
Why balance matters in brand and performance marketing
When brand marketing and performance marketing operate together, the results compound. Short-term campaigns generate immediate results. Brand-building supports sustainable growth and long-term differentiation.
A narrow focus on performance can lead to metric fatigue. Audiences overexposed to repetitive direct-response marketing campaigns start to disengage. The result: performance plateaus, rising acquisition costs, declining ROI.
Agencies that consistently invest in long-term brand-building create more resilient brands. These brands are better positioned to weather market fluctuations and changing consumer behaviors—and continue converting even when the market cools.
At Programmads Trading, we help agencies find the right balance between brand and performance marketing by leveraging the strengths of Programmatic Advertising.
We give agencies access to premium, multi-channel inventory—Connected TV (CTV), digital out-of-home (DOOH), audio and more. These formats are critical for building brand awareness and creating an emotional connection at scale.
With advanced, data-driven targeting, your marketing efforts go beyond demographics. We help deliver personalized messaging that supports both conversion and brand value, aligning with your clients’ short- and long-term growth goals.
Our real-time optimization tools ensure each campaign performs on short-term metrics without sacrificing brand equity. Adjustments are made instantly to reflect what drives both measurable results and long-term engagement.
We design marketing campaigns that align channels into a unified strategy. The result? A balanced approach that supports brand and performance simultaneously—without compromise.
Why marketers need to reject “either/or” thinking
The industry’s obsession with short-term metrics has overshadowed the foundational role of the brand. But one cannot exist without the other. Choosing brand building vs performance is a false dichotomy.
Instead, agencies must adopt a dual mindset: short-term activation + long-term investment. That’s where brand and performance marketing win.
Programmads Trading: your partner for sustainable and measurable growth
We work with agencies that want more than isolated wins. We help you balance brand development with short-term performance marketing through the power of programmatic advertising—bridging the gap between strategy and execution.
Ready to strike the right balance and unlock scalable performance? Let’s talk.
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