Yasser Obeid is truly a veteran of Dubai's film scene, drawing on an impressive career in the creative media sector spanning more than two decades. This dynamic, award-winning producer, visual effects artist, and art director made indelible marks in the media arena in both London and Moscow, with his relentless innovation and attention to detail in production, post-production, and broadcast. 

In the U.A.E and the greater GCC, a number of marketing professionals are expats meaning they are more transient in nature. Many marketers move from brand to brand within the span of a few years often competing with their previous employer.

This rapidly changing work environment means that marketers are more likely to focus on building the brand in the short term rather than the long term. This leads to a decrease in brand loyalty across the Middle East as consumers opt for lower-priced goods.

This trend pervades globally.

For many brands, there is a constant power struggle between focusing on the short term or developing long-term strategies. Although the simple answer is to focus on both simultaneously, it can be difficult to balance daily workflows that may interfere with long-term goals. Marketing is a demanding field that expects results almost instantly.

Given the results-focused environment in most companies, it can be difficult to keep focused on producing results while planning for the future. Many brands are left contemplating the question “Should I focus my efforts on brand marketing or promotional marketing?”

Brand marketing encompasses a company’s reputation, its values, product or service quality, trustworthiness, and more. The goal of brand marketing is to increase the credibility of the brand, evoke an emotional response from the consumer, increase loyalty, and motivate buyers. Performance marketing is concentrated on concrete data including lead generation and conversion.

Today’s marketers have focused most of their energy on promotional marketing while paying little attention to brand marketing. However, prioritizing one form of marketing over the other can be detrimental to brands long term.

Although few marketers are proficiently skilled at both promotional and brand marketing, it is essential that marketers understand the importance of these two concepts in order to push fundamental brand elements across multiple consumer channels.

In the modern social media world, brand and performance marketing has become integral to the health of any company. These two facets depend heavily on each other given the demand for personalization and building relationships.

When companies lean too far in the brand marketing direction, they often neglect other strategies that could generate growth. Rather than focus on logistics, emphasis is put on the creative aspects of the business. Some brands believe that investing time and energy into the aesthetics of the brand will differentiate them from the competition. While this tactic may attract some attention, it never lasts.

On the other hand, when brands focus too much energy on promotional marketing it can appear dry and impersonal to consumers. The main goal of the content is to improve performance which can seem like a cash grab when there is no real evidence of a strong brand presence.

There are obvious drawbacks of focusing too heavily on one aspect over the other. Solely focusing on branding efforts can impact conversion while focusing on the funnel will impact the ability of a business to flourish long term. In order to combat this issue and reach the highest level of growth, a balance between the two must be achieved.

Brand marketers must understand that while performance marketing is concrete and measurable, it’s only a portion of the full picture. Every opportunity is a chance for brands to position themselves in a more personal, relatable manner. With insights available for almost every aspect of brand marketing, learning how to leverage those insights to improve performance is essential. Data can outline consumer behavior which allows brands to align their performance and brand marketing to their target audience.

Marketing managers have realized that you cannot have one without the other which is why both brand and performance marketing is worthy of investment. For companies to be successful in today’s market, the two aspects need to be combined. This amalgamation will contribute to driving business results, increasing market share, connecting with consumers, and creating a strong brand presence.

By Yasser Obeid, managing director, a.k.a Media

About a.k.a Media

Not just an agency, so much more than a production house...a.k.a. Media launched in Dubai in 2011, with a disruptive mission to change the way communications are delivered. 

a.k.a. is a hotbed of regional talent, providing 360 integrated communications that make people laugh, cry and feel. a.k.a is strategically driven and creatively propelled with a razor-sharp focus on results.
Our insight-based creative approach has helped develop memorable, successful brands in every market sector.