Introduction: A brand isn’t built in 15 seconds

Marketers are being pulled in vastly different directions, from driving popular, short-term conversations to building a long-term brand legacy. Short-term conversations are necessary to remain top of mind with audiences, but marketers must understand that long-term branding is a crucial asset to building longevity in today’s increasingly competitive market.

Many marketers (93 per cent) see long-term branding as a catalyst for their organisation’s growth. Elevating your organisation as a trusted brand requires a clear strategy and vision that extends beyond the next quarter, which is according to a new Frontify-sponsored report from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services.

Though 84 per cent of marketers agree that long-term branding is important, only 36 per cent say their organisation is truly effective at it. Yet, organisations must invest in long-term branding to remain competitive and thrive in such a rapidly changing landscape.

Takeaway 1: Long-term brand building for sustained success

To set the scene: long-term brand building refers to branding efforts focused on the next five to 10 years. Such extensive planning can boost an organisation’s evolution and resilience, with 90 per cent of marketers agreeing that it paves the way to sustained commercial success.

The journey begins with clarity, meaning an organisation must first define who it is, what it stands for, and why it matters. Establishing a clear mission and purpose lays the foundation for every visual, verbal, and experiential element that emerges afterwards. Once determined, an organisation establishes more than just its name and logo – it becomes a trusted brand in the eyes of customers over time.

Long-term branding allows an organisation to build loyalty and recognition that can withstand market disruptions. Loyalty isn’t just about longevity – it’s also shaped by how audiences experience your brand at every touchpoint. This is where consistency becomes essential, influencing every message, interaction, and campaign.

Takeaway 2: Consistency is the key, but hard for brands to achieve

Marketers must ensure consistency across all regions, communications, content, and customer experiences. In fact, 95

per cent of marketers agree that brand consistency over time builds an organisation’s brand equity.

With great brand equity comes increased sales, pricing power, and marketing effectiveness. Per the report, brand consistency and equity play a strategic role in an organization’s long-term brand health and financial success.

However, consistency and equity require patience, and this is where many organisations struggle. About 45 per cent of organisations identified ROI measurement as the top challenge of long-term branding. As a result, organizations become inclined to embrace short-term marketing for its ability to boost sales significantly. Wanting to see tangible results is understandable, but the hype is fleeting and your organisation risks causing more damage to its brand in the long run.

Besides ROI measurement, other prominent challenges obstructing organisations from long-term branding include a lack of budget (36 per cent), short-term marketing overtaking long-term branding (36 per cent), and short-term initiatives derailing long-term planning (33 per cent).

These obstacles make it difficult for organisations to maintain consistency and build equity. Addressing these challenges is critical because consistency and equity help your organisation to become recognisable in the market. However, both can only reach their full potential if everyone is on the same page about the brand’s mission.

Takeaway 3: Alignment is the new advantage

Even the best branding strategy can fail without internal alignment. A brand’s strength depends on how well an organisation’s employees understand and embody its purpose, enabling stronger decision-making and growth. Internal alignment must follow the organisation’s executive strategy, allowing the brand’s mission to inform decisions at every level.

All decision-making ultimately shapes how a brand is perceived. That said, brand strategy is pivotal to an organization’s enterprise-wide business strategy, not a separate concern. Marty Neumeier, author of Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands, notes that great brands are built from the bottom but led from the top. Brand and business strategies must be aligned to keep customers at the center of an organization’s brand purpose.

This integration enables an organization to gain and maintain a strong advantage over its competitors. In fact, most marketers (91 per cent) agree that incorporating long-term branding is integral to any decision-making strategy. Marketers who adopted long-term brand building reported increased customer retention and loyalty (59 per cent), business growth (53 per cent), and greater competitive advantages (48 per cent).

Aligning your brand and business strategies positions your organization as a valuable, trusted brand among audiences and in the global market.

Conclusion: Building brands that last

The guideline to building a strong brand is as follows:

• Link brand strategy and corporate strategy
• Do not let short-term issues override long-term objectives
• Keep customers top of mind
• Be consistent, with room for variation
• Measure brand equity and track your progress

Long-term branding requires organization-wide commitment and a mindset focused on the future. Lasting brands are built by conviction, not just campaigns. When organisations commit to the long game, consistency turns into equity, and equity turns into legacy.