A short guide to the long game of brand building

As AI-powered discovery gains traction in both B2C and B2B, brand is suddenly becoming essential again. This marks a significant shift from the previous 10 to 15 years, when performance marketing established itself as the dominant strategy.

Nowhere is the contrast between performance marketing and brand building more pronounced than in the timeframes they require to succeed. Performance marketing campaigns can be measured almost instantly, making them easier to optimize. Brand simply doesn’t work that way.

The upheaval in online search, where consumers increasingly direct promptsto large language models (LLMs) instead of keywords to search engines, diminished intent signals that were once the gold standard for marketers.

Privacy regulations are also reducing available signals. There are fewer third-party signals due to declining cookie usage. This further diminishes the effectiveness of performance marketing tactics.

Together, these changes are elevating the importance of brand equity in digital marketing.

Dig deeper: Building a brand strategy: Essentials for long-term success

What are the most important brand-building strategies?

There are several ways to build a brand, but success generally requires three things:

• Consistency.
• A multichannel presence.
• Emotional resonance with prospects and customers.

Here are the strategies that help you stand out.

1. Thought leadership and content

Many brands create content — and with today’s generative AI tools, they’re producing more than ever. But much of it falls flat.

Your brand needs standout content: original research, bold opinions and educational value. The common denominator here is content that builds credibility.

Credibility strengthens everything else. That content becomes a foundation for SEO (which still matters), social media activity and speaking opportunities, which then expand brand awareness and authority.

2. Consistent narrative and visual identity

Brand marketers have long complained about executives reducing brand to just the logo. But the logo is only one part of your visual identity.

Alongside the logo, your brand needs memorable messaging and visual consistency across all touchpoints: website, email, LinkedIn and events.

Far from being just arts and crafts, these elements reinforce brand recall and trust, which are both critical in the multi-stakeholder decisions common in B2B purchases.

3. Social and owned media hustle

Brand building is a hustle. It’s like going door to door, especially when you lack unlimited resources. Think of people you’ve seen hustling in real life or on social media: they’re authentic and hardworking.

In modern brand building, this means showing up on LinkedIn, YouTube, podcasts, newsletters and webinars. But it’s not a solo effort. Leverage influencer partnerships and employee advocacy to broaden your reach.

4. Community building

User communities and educational initiatives (even those that extend beyond your own producte and services) foster word of mouth and brand affinity. They’re more authentic than paid media and help create a loyal user base that can be engaged, marketed to and turned into advocates.

5. PR and earned media

Rev up the PR machine to secure mentions in authoritative publications and get your experts quoted. These moments enhance brand authority and unlock additional tactics—from building backlinks to expanding brand credibility.

Dig deeper: Are brand awareness and demand generation rivals, or the ultimate power couple?

How much of brand building is luck?

We’ve all seen brands seemingly capture lightning in a bottle, going from obscure to household name in no time. But those cases are the exception, not the rule.

There’s always some serendipity in business success: the viral social media post, a timely trend or an influencer shout-out. But here’s the truth: most brand wins are engineered, not accidental.

You can’t plan for luck. Instead, remember:

• Process beats randomness. Consistency in storytelling, message discipline and design builds recognition over time.
  
• Positioning matters. Clarify your differentiation to stand out in a crowded space and boost recall.
  
• Timing can help. Brands that ride a trend (e.g., AI tools) still need execution to keep attention.
  

Luck is a brand accelerant, not a strategy.