[Marketing Week] Bob Koigi: Why brand building still wins

The strongest-performing brands combine social and emotional creative strategies rather than treating them as competing approaches

As brands continue to pour larger budgets into social media, creators and influencer partnerships, marketers are increasingly questioning whether social-first strategies alone can sustain long-term growth.

WARC's latest effectiveness research argues they cannot. While social marketing excels at driving short-term engagement, brands that fail to balance it with emotional, brand-building campaigns risk becoming trapped in an endless cycle of chasing algorithms and fleeting cultural moments rather than building lasting customer preference.

In The Pace Principle 2.0, WARC argues that the strongest-performing brands combine social and emotional creative strategies rather than treating them as competing approaches.

Building on its earlier effectiveness research, the report concludes that while social campaigns are highly effective at driving immediate engagement, emotional brand-building delivers stronger long-term business impact. It also found that aligning creative strategy with the intended audience can improve campaign effectiveness by up to 70%.

For marketers, the message is clear: social media should amplify a brand strategy, not replace it. As algorithms become more volatile and attention spans shrink, sustainable growth will depend less on chasing the next viral moment and more on creating distinctive, emotionally resonant campaigns that endure long after the social buzz fades.

Campaigns of the week

Heineken is launching a fan campaign that gives longtime Serena Williams supporters the opportunity to return to the US Open by submitting tickets.

The Coca-Cola Company is launching a global campaign, The World Will Wait, encouraging people to step away from everyday distractions and make time for shared meals.

Toyota has partnered with Puerto Rican artist Álvaro Díaz on a music marketing campaign centred on his album OMAKASE.

Agencies and accounts

FINN Partners has been appointed retained public relations agency for World Travel Holdings UK (WTH UK), supporting the company's portfolio of cruise travel brands across the UK and Ireland.

Hannah Cranston Media has been appointed public relations agency of record for beauty company NULASTIN following a competitive review.

Ocean Outdoor UK has retained the contract to manage Canary Wharf Group's digital out of home (DOOH) advertising network in London, extending a commercial partnership that has spanned 15 years.

Partnerships and acquistions

Strategy and creative firm Prophet has expanded its digital capabilities through the acquisition of London-based digital transformation agency JBi Digital.

Hearst has agreed to acquire The Walt Disney Company's 50 percent interest in A+E Global Media for approximately $1.2 billion in cash.

Criteo has been appointed a preferred demand partner for Loblaw Advance, expanding advertiser access to the retailer's email advertising inventory across Canada.

Captains of Industry

This week, Marketing Report spoke with Vincent Druguet, the CEO of WPP Creative France and WPP Enterprise Solutions France about his vision for uniting WPP's agency brands, the growing role of AI in creative work.

We also had a chat with Barbara Bijlard, the Vice President of Clients at DEPT on why she made the move from traditional advertising, how DEPT plans to drive growth for Dutch clients and the biggest opportunities and challenges shaping the future of marketing.

Other major news of the week

TBWA has introduced a visual identity created by its global design discipline, DXD, reflecting the agency network's focus on design as a strategic element of brand building.

Nielsen has expanded its Four-Screen Ad Deduplication measurement in Japan to include all measurable connected TV (CTV) inventory available through Nielsen ONE Ads.

Amazon Ads has joined Screenforce, the Dutch marketing organisation for the TV and streaming industry. In doing so, Prime Video’s monthly ad-supported audiences will also be measured by the national media research organisation, Nationaal Media Onderzoek.

Bob Koigi is the editor-in-chief of Marketing Report.One

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