McKinsey Research: Strong Brand Strategy Boosts Investment Returns by 30 Percent

Jakarta — A strong brand strategy is considered capable of significantly increasing companies’ marketing investment returns. McKinsey & Company research shows that companies with solid brand strategies can generate long-term return on investment (ROI) approximately 20-30 percent higher than companies relying solely on short-term marketing tactics.

This finding explains why branding has become a priority for many companies, particularly as digital media costs increase and marketing performance becomes increasingly competitive.

Faiz Fashridjal, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of sepenuhati, believes that changing consumer behaviour in the digital era requires companies to change not only how they communicate but also how they think about developing their business.

“Digital fundamentally changes human behaviour. Because of this, what needs to change is not merely how brands communicate, but how brands think, including when designing products, building consumer experiences, and determining growth direction,” he explained through a press statement on Thursday (12 March 2026).

According to him, this approach does not necessarily result in sustainable brand growth. Therefore, a number of companies are beginning to reposition branding as a long-term strategy, rather than merely a one-off campaign activity.

“At sepenuhati, we do not work in a ‘brief–campaign–finished’ pattern. We accompany clients and become their growth partners,” said Faiz.

This approach is also applied in several brand collaborations that focus on building sustained communication systems with consumers, rather than just a single campaign period.

One implementation is evident in the development of Wardah’s House of W ecosystem. The community space is designed to connect Women, Wisdom, and Wellness in one community experience so that the brand can be part of consumer lifestyle.

“This industry never lacks creative ideas,” he said. “What is more difficult is maintaining brand relevance consistently. Many brands are busy creating new campaigns but forget to build long-term relationships with their consumers. That is where creativity should work,” continued Andreas.

This approach is also applied across various business categories, including the business-to-business (B2B) sector. Communication in this segment, which tends to be rational, is still built with emotional narrative, because business decisions ultimately are made by individuals who need to feel trust.

Amid an increasingly competitive market, brand differentiation is no longer determined solely by who creates the most creative campaign. Consistency in maintaining relevance with audiences has become an important factor to ensure brands remain present in consumer lives.

For many companies, creativity is no longer the final goal of marketing, but rather a tool to ensure brands can build long-term relationships with consumers.