Likes Don’t Build Brand. Strategy Does.
LIKES DON’T BUILD BRANDS.
STRATEGY DOES.
STRATEGY DOES.
LIKES DON’T BUILD BRANDS.
STRATEGY DOES.
STRATEGY DOES.
Marketing today is drowning in vanity metrics like likes, clicks, and impressions. These numbers
look good but rarely build strong, lasting brands. What actually drives growth is a coherent,
long-term brand strategy rooted in, integration, actionable metrics, and trust. From Amul to
Dove to Apple, the brands that endure are those that invest in strategy over short-term spikes.
At AHA, the belief is simple: strategy must rise above numbers to create growth that is
authentic, measurable, and built to last.
WHAT GOOD IS A MILLION LIKES IF NO ONE
REMEMBERS THE BRAND BEHIND THEM?
REMEMBERS THE BRAND BEHIND THEM?
Marketing today suffers from a crisis of measurement. Dashboards glow with vanity numbersfollowers, impressions, click-throughs that flatter egos but rarely build businesses. The real
casualty is strategy. Without a strong brand strategy, companies chase fragments, silos, and
short-term spikes, mistaking motion for momentum.
And the science is clear: the brands that win are the ones that build consistently, coherently,
and over the long haul.
VANITY METRICS: ALL SHINE, NO SUBSTANCE
Cheap, addictive, but nutritionally empty. Research from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute shows
that most advertising works by building memory structures over time, not by racking up short
bursts of attention. One viral post won’t make you Coke. A consistent brand strategy, executed
with discipline, just might.
that most advertising works by building memory structures over time, not by racking up short
bursts of attention. One viral post won’t make you Coke. A consistent brand strategy, executed
with discipline, just might.
REMEMBER PEPSI’S KENDALL JENNER AD?
Millions of impressions, global chatter and yet a brand blunder that damaged equity. Contrast
that with Dove’s “Real Beauty” platform, built patiently for over 20 years, increasing Unilever’s
sales from $2.5B to $4B by sticking to a strategic core.
that with Dove’s “Real Beauty” platform, built patiently for over 20 years, increasing Unilever’s
sales from $2.5B to $4B by sticking to a strategic core.
Chasing growth, not just likes?
Drive it here.
Drive it here.
SILOED MEASUREMENT: THE SILENT BARRIER
Marketing tracks clicks. Sales track revenue. Brand teams track awareness. But the customer
doesn’t live in silos. McKinsey found that companies with fully integrated marketing and sales
data grew 2.5x faster than those with fragmented measurement.
doesn’t live in silos. McKinsey found that companies with fully integrated marketing and sales
data grew 2.5x faster than those with fragmented measurement.
Asian Paints is a masterclass here. Its marketing, retail, and supply chain strategy are fused
creating a unified brand story that’s hard to disrupt. That’s not reporting; that’s brand strategy
in action.
creating a unified brand story that’s hard to disrupt. That’s not reporting; that’s brand strategy
in action.
THE ILLUSION OF SHORT-TERM SUCCESS
Spikes in traffic or followers look like growth. They’re not. Binet
& Field’s IPA study of 500 campaigns found that campaigns
optimised only for short-term activation deliver half the profit
growth of those balanced with long-term brand building. Half.
& Field’s IPA study of 500 campaigns found that campaigns
optimised only for short-term activation deliver half the profit
growth of those balanced with long-term brand building. Half.
Nike sold aspiration by making “Just Do It” a cultural constant
since 1988. REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY
STARTED COUNTING CLICKS UNDER CEO JOHN
DONAHOE? The company lost 21% of its stock market value
in 1.5 years .That goes on to show why brand strategy beats
short-termism every single time.
since 1988. REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY
STARTED COUNTING CLICKS UNDER CEO JOHN
DONAHOE? The company lost 21% of its stock market value
in 1.5 years .That goes on to show why brand strategy beats
short-termism every single time.
ACTIONABLE METRICS:
THE TRUE INDICATORS OF VALUE
THE TRUE INDICATORS OF VALUE
Customer lifetime value. Retention rates. Net Promoter Scores. These aren’t just numbers;
they’re predictors of survival. According to Bain & Company, improving retention by just 5% can
boost profits by 25–95%.
they’re predictors of survival. According to Bain & Company, improving retention by just 5% can
boost profits by 25–95%.
INTEGRATION OVER FRAGMENTATION
When data is scattered, you’re reading a novel with missing
chapters. A holistic brand strategy stitches together every
touchpoint: awareness, experience, conversion, loyalty.
Think Apple. where store design, packaging, advertising, and
customer service are one seamless narrative. That’s not
coincidence. That’s brand strategy
chapters. A holistic brand strategy stitches together every
touchpoint: awareness, experience, conversion, loyalty.
Think Apple. where store design, packaging, advertising, and
customer service are one seamless narrative. That’s not
coincidence. That’s brand strategy
PERSUASION, NOT POPULARITY
You can buy eyeballs. You cannot buy trust. Nielsen research shows that brand trust is the #1
factor in purchase decisions for 60% of consumers. Likes don’t persuade. Brand strategy does.
factor in purchase decisions for 60% of consumers. Likes don’t persuade. Brand strategy does.
LONG-TERM LOYALTY BEATS SHORT-TERM SPARKLE
Every brand can buy attention. Few can earn devotion. Amul has dominated India’s dairy
sector for decades not because of short-term gimmicks, but because its witty, strategic, and
consistent advertising built a bond of trust that endures.
sector for decades not because of short-term gimmicks, but because its witty, strategic, and
consistent advertising built a bond of trust that endures.
IN SUMMARY
COMMON PITFAL
HOLISTIC ALTERNATIVE
Vanity metrics
Actionable metrics with business impact
Siloed measurement
Integrated cross-channel insights
Short-term visibility
Long-term loyalty and brand preference
Fragmented reporting
Unified brand strategy and storytelling
Wondering how to turn insights into impact?
Let’s show you how.
Let’s show you how.
WRAPPING UP: BUILDING GROWTH THAT LASTS
A strong brand strategy is not a slide deck. It is a discipline. It aligns every decision -creative,
data, distribution, experience to a single brand vision.
data, distribution, experience to a single brand vision.
Ignore it, and you’ll drown in vanity. Respect it, and you’ll build brands that last.
At That’s AHA, the belief is simple: brand strategy must rise above numbers. By aligning
measurement, dismantling silos and focusing on what truly drives value, we help brands achieve
growth that is authentic, measurable and built to last.
measurement, dismantling silos and focusing on what truly drives value, we help brands achieve
growth that is authentic, measurable and built to last.
Because in the end, people don’t remember the campaigns that went viral. They remember the
brands that mattered.
brands that mattered.
FAQs
-
WHAT IS A “COMMUNICATION STRATEGY”?
It is a structured plan defining how a brand conveys its identity; through tone, sensory cues
and messaging; across every touchpoint. -
HOW DOES A STRATEGY REINFORCE BRAND DIFFERENTIATION?
By embedding a distinct tone, narrative and sensory cues, a strategy makes the brand
recognisable and emotionally engaging. -
WHY IS CROSS-CHANNEL INTEGRATION VITAL?
Aligning messaging, tone and design prevents fragmentation and enhances coherence across
touchpoints. -
DO SENSORY ELEMENTS ACTUALLY BOOST BRAND RECALL?
Absolutely; colour, sound, typography and texture embed messages in memory through
emotional and sensory resonance. -
HOW SHOULD A BRAND BEGIN BUILDING ITS STRATEGY?
Start by clarifying purpose and tone. Audit current communications for consistency, then
layer in sensory and storytelling alignment.