The ROI of branding is a subject debated in all corners of the internet.
I'll skip past all that healthy debate today and focus on one point.
Let's highlight what I believe might be the most overlooked metric ...
Recruitment.
Have you considered how impactful a clearly defined and well articulated brand is on hiring?
People absolutely judge a book by its cover, and they're equipped with a magnifying glass when considering joining your organization.
Applicants are more discerning than customers, rightfully so.
Remember, all an applicant has to go on is two things: word of mouth or the external brand of your organization.
Do you "look" like you have your act together?
Do you "sound" like you know yourself and why the company exists?
Do all the moving parts an applicant finds on your mission, values, website, social, reviews, and so on create an energy worth joining or a disconnect worth avoiding?
After every branding engagement, I meet with our partners, typically the founder(s).
One question I pose is, "What's the most unexpected return you've seen?"
I get these two answers most often: internal energy boost and recruitment impact.
"This rebrand effort has paid itself off in less than a year. It's one of the best investments I've made, ever, in being a part of a startup, and this is my fourth time. Early on, this rebrand saved us a ton of money in hiring fees. We were trying to hire fifty or more people over a few months. Having a better brand really makes it easier. We also had an applicant reach out and tell us she saw the rebrand, and from that moment on wanted to be a part of our company." – Humberto Ayres Pereira, CEO, Rows
So, just remember. It's easy to get lost in the conversion of customer metrics.
But everything starts with building a great team.
Branding is part of that equation.
Bill Kenney
R O I O F B R A N D I N G
According to LinkedIn's 2024 B2B Marketing Benchmark Report, 67% of CMOs and marketing leaders polled increased their brand-building budgets this year. "Investments in brand and creative can pay off big time. Roughly 6 in 10 say the benefit of that outstanding creative was more brand engagement, while 55% said increased share of voice and 48% reported increased earned media coverage."
74.6% of B2B sales to new customers take at least four months to close, and brand is the secret to ongoing engagement. "By ensuring your value is clear, your messaging is consistent, and your image is cohesive and compelling, you can connect more effectively with buyers at every stage of the sales funnel."
"Brands with purpose innately create trust because they activate care outside of things like sales — they commit to a cause that benefits all. If your goal is to be a trusted brand in good times and bad, then a consistent investment in brand purpose should be a priority."
“The B2B marketing landscape is fraught with challenges. From saturated channels to evolving buyer expectations, businesses find it increasingly difficult to stand out. [...] Yet, their effectiveness diminishes as every company follows the same playbook.”
