GR1P

Why Marketing and Advertising Fails

So you’ve structured your business, performed every regulatory and compliance check, secured licenses, worked on your branding, built a website, invested in marketing, advertising, perhaps a great sales team… but everything isn’t really adding up. The sales aren’t pouring in as you projected, every tweak to your campaign and outreach isn’t giving the results you anticipated.

This is a recurring dilemma in many businesses and the response is usually the same: Double down on marketing efforts, increase marketing spend, increase sales target or get a new sales team etc.

But what if the problem isn’t in your marketing efforts? What if you aren’t even diagnosing the problem accurately?

Whenever the word branding is mentioned, everyone’s mind by default is drawn to logos, design style and catchy taglines, which isn’t wrong, but only represents a fraction of the picture.

Branding is much more than just visuals and nice-sounding messages; it’s the soul of your business’ existence.

At its core, a brand is an entity that provides unique value beyond what is generally obtainable to its audience.

With this in mind, every brand should have its roots in the basics of entrepreneurship. Meaning that an entrepreneur or founder identified an unmet need experienced by a sizeable number of people in a particular market and built a unique, sellable solution to address the need.

This serves as the real basis of differentiation and uniqueness. So, branding is primarily about the unique value a business creates and delivers, which sets it apart from all else.
Every other aspect of the brand, both visual and verbal, is built on this.

Let’s look deeper into what makes a brand.

Brands Exist on Three Levels

 

• 1. As an entity that offers unique value (Value-centric)

  As earlier defined, beyond the basic functions of the products and services it offers, a brand is an entity that delivers unique value to its audience, making it their preferred choice. Better put, it’s an entity that solves a distinct problem better than anyone else.

  Think of it this way: If your business disappeared today, what gap would it leave behind? That’s your brand’s unique/core value.

• 2. As every visible representation of that entity (Tangibility)

  A brand is everything that visually and verbally represents the entity that offers unique value. This includes logos, colors, online and offline touchpoints, marketing materials, messaging, tone of voice, etc.
  All these elements constitute the brand of the entity.

• 3. As a perception (Intangibility)

  Finally, a brand is the perception, emotional connection, trust or distrust, an audience has about the entity offering the value.
  This is where branding becomes exceptionally powerful as it entails actively and deliberately shaping the right perception based on the unique value the entity offers.

 

How Branding Shapes Business Success (and Why It Must Come First)

Having broken down what a brand actually consists of, the next question is: why is this important? Why should branding take precedence over marketing and advertising, and how does it directly impact business success?

Marketing and advertising are activities that respectively compel action and amplify your brand’s uniqueness to your audience. But what if there’s nothing distinctive about your business? Even worse, what if there’s nothing to amplify at all? This will make both activities ineffective.

To illustrate this, let’s examine four entrepreneurs entering the organic skincare industry. Each one approaches branding differently, and their outcomes vary dramatically.

 

Meet Sally, Entrepreneur A

 

Sally notices a major gap as many organic skincare brands claim to be “all-natural,” but lack scientific proof, leading to high skepticism among their customers.

She identifies an unmet need: organic skincare that is both natural and scientifically proven to be effective. Hence, she builds her brand around:

 

1. Scientific credibility:

   partnering with dermatologists and using clinically tested ingredients.

2. Transparency:

   publishing research findings and educating customers on ingredient benefits.

3. Eco-conscious values:

   sustainable sourcing and biodegradable packaging.

 

Her brand’s core message rooted in her unique value is clear: “Organic skincare backed by science.” Customers trust her expertise, and her brand stands apart.

 

Meet Jesse, Entrepreneur B

 

Through market research, Jesse discovers that another group of customers struggle to find organic skincare products that works for their specific skin type. Most products are labeled “for all skin types”, ignoring individual skin concerns like acne, dryness, and sensitivity.

This leads him to build his brand around:

1. Personalization:

   allowing customers to take a skin assessment and receive a custom-formulated organic skincare routine.

2. Data-driven insights:

   using technology to match customers with the right products.

3. Community-driven development:

   gathering feedback to refine formulations continuously.

 

His brand’s core message: “Organic skincare, made for you only”

Even with Sally’s brand in the market, his unique positioning rooted in his business’ unique value allows him to stand out and attract a different audience.

 

 

Meet Camila, Entrepreneur C

 

Unlike Sally and Jesse, who identified market gaps through industry trends and research, Camila’s journey started with a personal struggle.

For years, she struggled with sensitive skin and every skincare product she tried left her with breakouts. Out of frustration, she started making her own natural mixture using raw shea butter, coconut oil, and other plant-based ingredients.

While sourcing for raw materials, she noticed that most of the ingredients in “organic” skincare products weren’t sourced ethically. The shea butter she used? It came from cooperatives where workers, mostly women, were severely underpaid. The argan oil? It was often harvested in ways that harmed local ecosystems.

Thus, she built her brand around:

1. Sourcing ingredients ethically:

   working directly with women-led cooperatives in Africa and South America to ensure fair wages and sustainable farming.

2. Small-batch production:

   keeping formulas as pure and unprocessed as possible.

3. A mission-driven approach:

   a percentage of every purchase funds education and healthcare for the farming communities she partners with.

Her brand’s message? “Skincare with a soul.”

What started as a personal struggle became a movement. Her brand resonates with consumers who want not just clean skincare, but skincare that makes a real difference.

 

Eric, Entrepreneur D

 

The organic skincare industry is booming. With new brands launching everyday, social media is flooded with testimonials, before-and-after pictures, and influencer promotions. Everyone seems to be making money… and Eric takes note.

He has no deep passion for skincare. He’s not a chemist, nor does he have sensitive skin. But he sees the wave and he wants in on it.

His process looks something like this:

1. Private Labeling:

   He finds a manufacturer that produces generic organic skincare products and slaps his logo on them.

2. Generic Branding:

   His brand name is as expected: “PureGlow Naturals.”

3. No Clear Positioning:

   He believes his messaging is perfect, “100% Natural! No Harsh Chemicals! Organic & Safe for All Skin Types!”

4. Massive Discounts & Flash Sales:

   To compete, he undercuts prices instead of creating real value.

5. Inconsistent Customer Experience:

   Sometimes the products work, sometimes they don’t. He has no real feedback loop or customer loyalty strategy.

 

At first, it seems to be working. Sales trickle in, influencers take free PR packages, and engagement spikes. But the excitement doesn’t last.

Customers start asking questions. Competitors with real differentiation dominate the market. The brand constantly chases trends: one month it’s “vegan skincare,” the next it’s “CBD-infused creams,” then “anti-aging serums…”

Soon, sales plateau and without any strong brand foundation, marketing becomes unsustainable.

 

Eric’s biggest mistake?

He saw what others were doing, but never asked why those brands were succeeding.
Unlike Sally, Jesse, and Camila, he offered no real value beyond simply “being an option in the market.”

And that’s the main issue. Businesses that lack a clear, unique value struggle to sustain long-term growth. Without a strong brand foundation, marketing becomes a constant battle for attention, often relying on price cuts, short-term tactics, or trend-hopping just to stay relevant. In contrast, businesses with well-defined brands don’t have to fight as hard for recognition; they attract the right audience naturally because their value is clear and compelling.

 

So, how do you build a brand that makes marketing and advertising truly effective? Concentrate on three main areas:

• 1. Clarify your unique value:

  Introspectively and honestly ask yourself what makes your business unique and why your audience should choose you.

• 2. Maintain a clear and consistent visual and verbal identity

• 3. Deliver consistently on your unique value.

 

When you get branding right, marketing becomes easier, and advertising delivers real results.

Therefore, before you make the decision to replace your entire sales team or overhaul your marketing strategy for the third time, ask yourself: does my business genuinely have a unique value? If not, it’s time to build from ground up.