Many companies still treat brand and performance marketing as separate efforts, often isolating brand initiatives from key KPIs and unit economics analysis. Traditionally, brand marketing focuses on building long-term emotional connections, while performance marketing drives immediate actions like lead generation and sales. But this divide is fading as the lines between the two continue to blur.
The Rise Of Product-Led Growth
With the rise of product-led growth (PLG), companies are increasingly positioning their products as the core driver of both brand awareness and growth. A superior product does more than satisfy immediate needs; it tells a brand’s story, builds loyalty and generates organic growth through word-of-mouth. It also drives in-product calls-to-action, such as converting free users to paying customers, driving upsells and encouraging users to share with their network.
In this new era, product innovation, quality and uniqueness are becoming essential to branding. When products deliver exceptional value and stand out in the market, they naturally create brand affinity without extensive advertising. A high-quality, innovative product becomes the most authentic form of branding, driven by customer satisfaction rather than paid media. However, many companies still get this equation wrong, overspending on traditional brand campaigns while neglecting the actual product experience. It’s hard for me to see brands make this mistake, and from experience, if the product doesn’t deliver on its promise, no amount of high-budget branding will change the customer perception.
Leading Examples Of Product-Driven Success
Dyson: Branding Through Product Innovation
A great example of a company that has mastered branding through product excellence is Dyson. Known for its ground breaking technology, superior product quality and unique designs, Dyson has built a brand that thrives on product excellence rather than extensive advertising. You won’t see Dyson investing heavily in traditional brand campaigns because the product itself is the advertisement. Dyson’s vacuum cleaners, air purifiers and other innovations have created such a strong reputation for engineering excellence that they naturally drive word-of-mouth marketing.
Spotify: Differentiation Through Seamless Experience
In a crowded streaming market with minimal product differentiation, Spotify sets itself apart through user experience and continuous innovation. While the core offering—music streaming—is similar to other platforms, Spotify stands out by creating a personalized, seamless experience through features like Discover Weekly, curated playlists and social sharing integrations. These innovations transform Spotify from a simple streaming service into an integral part of users’ daily lives, building deep brand loyalty without relying on heavy ad campaigns. Spotify’s success proves that even in commoditized markets, product quality and innovation can be powerful brand differentiators and growth drivers.
Airbnb: Building Trust Through Quality And Story
Initially struggling to gain traction, Airbnb recognized that user-generated images created barriers to consumer trust and bookings. Staying in a stranger’s house was a novel idea, and travelers were skeptical of listing quality and safety. By introducing an optional professional photography program for hosts along with secure payments, identity verification, host guidelines and user reviews, Airbnb transformed its platform into one that builds trust. Investing in these product features improved their overall brand perception and word-of-mouth recommendations, resulting in increased bookings and revenue. At the same time, the company shifted focus toward brand marketing, building customer loyalty through engaging narratives about travel and community. This combination of trust-building features, platform improvements and storytelling has solidified Airbnb’s market position.
Where Branding Meets Performance
This principle is at the core of brandformance and merges long-term brand building with performance-driven calls to action. Rather than separating emotional branding from performance marketing, brandformance ensures every touchpoint reinforces brand identity while guiding customers toward purchase.
A great example is Nike’s “Just Do It” initiative, which combines inspiring brand messages with clear calls to action. Whether driving consumers to purchase or encouraging sports participation, the campaign connects brand resonance with measurable outcomes, creating a cohesive consumer journey where every interaction reinforces the product’s value and ultimately drives conversion.
The 360-Degree Buying Experience
In e-commerce, whether selling water bottles or luxury items, a smart marketer doesn’t just focus on creating immediate intent. Instead, they continuously drip-feed the brand’s value across multiple channels over time. From product reviews and social media ads to influencer videos and brand ambassadors, every interaction works together to shape consumer perception.
Today’s consumers don’t just visit your website and click “buy.” They research, compare, read customer reviews and seek out social proof before making a decision. When every brand touchpoint delivers a unified message, you’re not just making a sale—you’re creating a unique experience that resonates deeply with the user and builds lasting loyalty.
A truly great product goes even further. It doesn’t just convert customers. It turns them into advocates, driving the most powerful marketing tool of all: word of mouth.
Your Product Is Your Brand
In the end, your product isn’t just part of your brand; it is your brand. A well-executed brandformance strategy ensures immediate action and long-term loyalty by allowing the product to drive brand identity. Rather than relying solely on flashy ad campaigns, the companies that do this well create superior products that speak for themselves, ultimately ensuring both customer retention and organic growth.
The reality is that unless you’re in a “race to the bottom” industry, where price is the only differentiator, product quality is what truly wins customers. That’s why when building your marketing team, hiring product marketers is crucial. These are the ones who are passionate about your company’s offering; they’re deeply invested in the product itself and constantly thinking about its unique value and how to tell its story.
When allocating your brand marketing budget, consider this: Would you be better off investing in high-budget creative productions or making your product even better? Sometimes, cutting back on legacy brand ad spend to prioritize product excellence is the smartest strategy of all. A product that stands out doesn’t need to beg for attention. It sells itself.
Feature Image Credit: Getty
By Amit Ashkenazi
Amit Ashkenazi, CSO of Artlist. Read Amit Ashkenazi’s full executive profile here.
Sourced from Forbes
