How to Audit Your Brand for Growth

Industrial marketing isn’t just about ticking boxes — it’s about powerful synergy. In my latest blog, “The Industrial Marketer’s Equation: How Brand and Performance Combine to Drive True Growth,” I dig into how brand marketing and performance marketing must work in harmony to fuel real, measurable growth. 👉 Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gP_EVuEt Why this matters: • Too many companies swing one way: either they invest heavily in brand but struggle to connect to ROI, or they chase quick performance wins without the brand foundation to sustain momentum. • When brand + performance align, you get compounding impact: a stronger brand means more efficient campaign performance, and efficient campaigns accelerate brand momentum. • For industrial companies, that means up to ~20% increase in top-line revenue, a more engaged workforce and a real competitive advantage. If you’re a marketing or commercial leader at a manufacturing or technical business, this is for you. It’s less about tactics and more about the right equation. #IndustrialMarketing #B2B #BrandMarketing #PerformanceMarketing #GrowthStrategy #Manufacturing

Marketing vs. Branding: Understanding the Key Differences In the business world, marketing and branding often get tossed around as if they mean the same thing, but they serve very different purposes. Understanding these differences can help you create more effective strategies for your organization. Let’s break it down: 1. Definitions Marketing is all about the activities and strategies we use to promote products or services and drive sales. It focuses on specific campaigns that aim for measurable results. Branding, on the other hand, is about building a lasting identity for a company or product. It encompasses the values, mission, and emotional connections we create with our audience. 2. Goals The main goal of marketing is to generate awareness and encourage people to buy. It’s about enticing consumers to take action through ads, promotions, or outreach. Branding is more about creating a lasting impression and loyalty. It’s about establishing trust and familiarity with your audience over time. 3. Timeframe Marketing efforts tend to be short-term and often change with trends or consumer behavior. Branding is a long-term game, focused on nurturing deeper relationships with customers and fostering loyalty that lasts. 4. Components Marketing includes tactics like advertising, social media outreach, and content marketing. It’s often driven by data and results. Branding involves elements like logos, design, messaging, and overall customer experience. It’s how consumers perceive and connect with your brand. 5. Impact on Consumers Good marketing can lead to quick results, like increased sales or website visits. Strong branding shapes loyalty and emotional connections, encouraging lasting relationships and repeat business. Understanding how marketing and branding work together is crucial for any organization aiming to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. What’s your take on the difference between marketing and branding? I’d love to hear your experiences and insights in the comments! If this post resonates with you, please like and share it to spark a deeper conversation about the dynamics of marketing and branding! #Marketing #Branding #BrandStrategy #ConsumerEngagement #BusinessGrowth #Credit_Bernard_Kingori.

𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 In order to charge a premium for your product or service and protect price elasticity, your brand needs to be clearly positioned in the buyers mind. The perception of your brand should be one of quality, trusted service and innovation. To achieve this requires a long-term investment in brand positioning; demonstrating how your product or service is better and adds value to customers, revealing the intellectual property that enables you to innovate and defining the commitment to customer experience. 𝑫𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈. Because every business needs to build and protect shareholder value. Customers want to feel confident in choosing you. Understanding how investing in your brand delivers value today and tomorrow, is key to unlocking marketing investment to deliver ROI. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈-𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕-𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎 𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔.  #𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 #𝑏2𝑏𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 #𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒

Marketing works, up to a point. Beyond that, branding takes over. In the beginning, most businesses grow by focusing on quality, basic sales, and market management. This is when marketing has the greatest impact: attracting customers, boosting sales, and expanding market reach. However, over time, growth starts to slow. Competitors increase, and the growth curve levels off. At this stage, marketing alone can no longer drive progress. In the early stages, marketing is effective in attracting customers and pushing business forward. But once competition intensifies and growth reaches a plateau, brand identity becomes essential. Brand identity helps you establish a lasting position in the minds of customers and sets you apart from competitors. Without a strong brand identity, your business may stagnate in a crowded market and fail to continue growing. When marketing alone is no longer enough to sustain growth, branding becomes the key to unlocking new opportunities. Branding not only differentiates your business, but also builds trust and loyalty with customers, something marketing alone can’t achieve. If your marketing efforts are no longer yielding the same results as before, it’s time to focus on building a strong brand identity #SustainableBranding #BrandIdentityMatters #BeyondMarketing #GrowthPlateau

Marketing vs. Branding: Understanding the Key Differences In the business world, marketing and branding often get tossed around as if they mean the same thing, but they serve very different purposes. Understanding these differences can help you create more effective strategies for your organization. Let’s break it down: 1. Definitions Marketing is all about the activities and strategies we use to promote products or services and drive sales. It focuses on specific campaigns that aim for measurable results. Branding, on the other hand, is about building a lasting identity for a company or product. It encompasses the values, mission, and emotional connections we create with our audience. 2. Goals The main goal of marketing is to generate awareness and encourage people to buy. It’s about enticing consumers to take action through ads, promotions, or outreach. Branding is more about creating a lasting impression and loyalty. It’s about establishing trust and familiarity with your audience over time. 3. Timeframe Marketing efforts tend to be short-term and often change with trends or consumer behavior. Branding is a long-term game, focused on nurturing deeper relationships with customers and fostering loyalty that lasts. 4. Components Marketing includes tactics like advertising, social media outreach, and content marketing. It’s often driven by data and results. Branding involves elements like logos, design, messaging, and overall customer experience. It’s how consumers perceive and connect with your brand. 5. Impact on Consumers Good marketing can lead to quick results, like increased sales or website visits. Strong branding shapes loyalty and emotional connections, encouraging lasting relationships and repeat business. Understanding how marketing and branding work together is crucial for any organization aiming to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. What’s your take on the difference between marketing and branding? I’d love to hear your experiences and insights in the comments! If this post resonates with you, please like and share it to spark a deeper conversation about the dynamics of marketing and branding! #Marketing #Branding #BrandStrategy #ConsumerEngagement #BusinessGrowth

Hello everyone, A few weeks ago, I came across a post comparing marketing and branding side by side, showing which performs. It was shared by a highly reputed marketing consultant. As a young professional in the industry, I couldn’t fully agree with that comparison. To me, putting marketing and branding against each other disrupts the very core definitions of both concepts, and in my idea with this interpretation entrepreneurs or other marketing practitioners could pursue the chase of building corporate reputation which is one of the ultimate goals a bit harder. What surprised me even more was the strong positive engagement that post received. I shared my perspective in the comments (a few professionals agreed too), but it was later removed. The reason I’m bringing this up today is that I’ve seen a few similar posts circulating again and I’d really like to hear from experienced professionals on this. In my view, marketing and branding cannot be directly compared, because marketing is a broader business activity, while a brand is the result of consistent marketing efforts (in the simplest terms). I think the confusion arises because, as a business grows, the interdependence between marketing and branding evolves over time. For example, in the early stages of a business, various marketing activities are used to build the brand. As the company scales, the effective use of broader marketing strategies including branding itself helps strengthen brand equity and enhance corporate reputation. Once the brand becomes strong enough, it turns into one of the most powerful tools in the marketing arsenal, amplifying the performance of all other marketing activities. This is my perspective. but I’d love to hear your thoughts! I’m eager to learn more through a healthy discussion with professionals in the industry. 😄 #MarketingVsBranding #MarketingStrategy #BrandStrategy #BrandBuilding #MarketingInsights

Are You Leveraging the Principle of Strategic Divergence? In today’s hyper-competitive market, the growth path rarely comes from following the crowd. The brands that lead industries—rather than chase them—embrace strategic divergence: the deliberate choice to move in a different direction when everyone else is converging toward sameness. Strategic divergence isn’t about being contrarian for the sake of it—it’s about clarity, courage, and conviction. It means identifying where your market is oversaturated, understanding customer pain points that remain unmet, and then charting a course that redefines value rather than replicates it. Consider Apple’s pivot from specs to simplicity, Tesla’s reimagining of the car as software, or Airbnb’s reframing of hospitality around belonging. Each of these brands didn’t just compete—they diverged from convention. They saw that while competitors were fighting for incremental gains, the real opportunity lay in transforming the rules of the game. For many mid-market and growth-stage companies, the same principle applies—but with even greater urgency. When markets tighten, budgets shrink, and every competitor is running the same digital ads, attending the same trade shows. Claiming the same “customer-first” positioning, differentiation becomes nearly impossible through conventional tactics. That’s when strategic divergence becomes your greatest asset. It forces you to zoom out—to reexamine not just what you’re marketing, but why and how you’re competing in the first place. It’s about identifying the spaces your competitors overlook, the customer problems they’ve normalized, and the emerging needs no one else is addressing. Divergence reframes marketing’s role—from executing campaigns to architecting growth strategy. Instead of chasing short-term conversions, you start shaping long-term market relevance. Instead of fighting for visibility in crowded channels, you create new ones that better align with how your customers actually make decisions. When applied correctly, strategic divergence turns marketing from a cost center into a growth engine—because it drives both immediate performance and enduring differentiation. It moves your brand out of the sea of sameness and into a category of one, where you can command attention, loyalty, and pricing power. Ask yourself: - Are you telling the same story as your competitors—or creating one that only you can tell? - Are you optimizing your current model—or reimagining how value is created and delivered? - Are your teams aligned around a differentiated strategy—or reacting to the same data everyone else sees? True growth happens at the edges—where strategy, creativity, and courage intersect. Strategic divergence isn’t just a mindset—it’s a method for building sustainable, defensible growth. In a world of convergence, divergence is your competitive advantage. #transformation #divergence #strategy #differentiation #branding

5 Benefits of a Competitor Audit in Branding: The goal of a competitor audit is to get clarity and identify opportunities for differentiation. When you know how and where to position your brand as the better option for the consumer, you can then implement strategies and gain a competitive advantage. Here are the 5 top benefits of completing a competitor audit: 1. Find Gaps in the MarketplaceDuring your competitor audit you may discover positioning opportunities that are not currently owned. You can instantly generate new revenue streams by filling these gaps. 2. Give Customers What They WhatWhen you analyze your competition you will recognize points where they have failed to meet the needs of their customers. This is your opportunity to step in and provide a better solution. 3. Discover New Marketing ChannelsIn today’s digital, on demand, social media influenced world, there are dozens of new marketing strategies popping up everyday. Through your competitive auditing you may discover communication channels that were previously unaware of. 4. Become More InnovativeIn addition to finding gaps in the marketplace to position your brand, you may even find holes in product offerings. Your research into the competition could uncover offerings that are currently unavailable to customers. 5. Develop a better USPYour USP, or Unique Selling Proposition is the one thing that makes your business better than the competition. It plays to your strengths and should highlight what makes your brand uniquely valuable to your customers. By identifying your competitors’ USP you can use that information to improve your own competitive position. #brandpositioning #differentiation #brandstrategy

🧠 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. The best marketers don’t jump straight to tactics — they think strategically first. Here are the 4️⃣ strategic thinking skills every marketer must master 👇 1️⃣ 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 Create a powerful vision statement that inspires and aligns everyone — acting as a magnet for all strategic decisions and investments. 2️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 Identify your core strength, understand the consumer bond, assess competitive dynamics, and clarify your business situation to uncover the real issues holding your brand back. 3️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 Build strategic programs with a focused accelerator, backed by measurable performance results that drive real brand success. 4️⃣ 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Find marketing ideas that are creative enough to attract consumers and smart enough to deliver the strategy, ensuring alignment from strategy through to execution. 👉 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀: https://lnkd.in/gfKUeP6K

Many businesses today face the challenge of staying competitive and innovative in a rapidly changing market. One approach gaining traction is forming a Marketing Advisory Board. It's not just a trend – recent statistics show a significant increase in businesses adopting this strategy. By leveraging external marketing expertise, companies can refine their branding and strategic initiatives without the long-term commitment of hiring full-time executives. To get started, consider these steps: identify your specific marketing challenges, engage with industry experts, and form your advisory board focused on areas like brand positioning and customer engagement. The benefits are clear. A Marketing Advisory Board can provide immediate insights, enhance your brand presence, and strengthen customer loyalty through targeted strategies. This approach allows you to adapt quickly and effectively to market demands. Have you worked with a Marketing Advisory Board before? What tips do you have for those considering this route? #MarketingStrategy #AdvisoryBoard #BrandDevelopment #CustomerEngagement https://lnkd.in/epSETF5p Boardroom Advisors: Part-Time CEOs MDs NEDs for Scale-Ups and SME's.