There are two types of companies, which one are you.

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Let me be direct.

There are two types of companies in the world.

Those with a brand and those without one.

Unfortunately, most companies fall into that second category, even though they'll swear they have a brand.

They point to their logo, their fonts, their color palette. "Look," they say, "we have brand guidelines!"

But that's not what brand is.

Others will say, “We sell to consumers. We are a brand.”

Just because you sell to consumers, does not mean your company has a brand.

Brand is the relationship between a company and a consumer. 

Nothing more, nothing less.

The stronger that relationship, the more the consumer trusts the company. The more they trust, the more they buy and the less you actually have to sell them, because they're already sold. They're already loyal.

What This Means for Your Advertising

If you build a strong brand, your advertising becomes exponentially more efficient. You spend less time convincing because you've already built loyalty.

I think most companies miss this completely. They're trapped in the endless cycle of testing small tweaks, chasing that extra dollar of efficiency through iterations and optimizations. All that effort should be spent building a point of view instead—crafting a perspective that consumers can understand and want.

Case Study: Bogey Bros' 5,540% 3-Year Growth

I was just talking to a golf brand called Bogey Bros. According to the Inc 5000, they've grown over 5,540% in the last three years.

Their explosive growth doesn’t come from just direct response ads.

They have built:

• Great top-of-funnel content on Instagram

• A clear point of view that resonates

• Products that align with their brand identity

• Creative testing through product development and content

The ads simply fulfill the demand that their brand building creates. They're not generating demand through ads. They're doing it through building an actual brand.

When you look at Bogey Bros' content, you immediately know exactly who it's for. Maybe it's not you, but you know someone in your life who would absolutely love this brand.

That's a strong indicator of brand clarity.

Compare that to so many other companies where it's hard to know who the product is actually for. They're not standing out. They're not memorable.

The HexClad Example: Brand Efficiency in Action

Here's another perfect example. For their Memorial Day sale, HexClad's CEO Jason Panzer shared something remarkable. They kept their ad spend exactly the same year-over-year from 2024 to 2025, but achieved 80% year-over-year growth.

Their offer wasn't dramatically different, in fact it was about the same. So how did they become 80% more efficient without changing their budget percentage?

They spent the previous year building their brand.

• Building partnerships

• Getting a Super Bowl ad

• Investing in top-of-funnel brand building

• Establishing themselves as THE premium cookware brand

Now, not everyone can get a Super Bowl ad but the principle is universal.

They invested money in brand building so that a year later, they could be dramatically more efficient in their acquisition costs.

They have a point of view. They align themselves with people who represent what HexClad could be. They built a real brand, not just a company.

The Purple Cow Principle

This goes back to Seth Godin's concept of the purple cow. A purple cow stands out. You notice it, you remember it.

Brands need to spend more time crafting how they're going to be memorable.

If you do that, you can create massive efficiency gains in your ad account. This is something that's not talked about enough in our industry.

Why This Matters for Your Team

When we work with brands that have real tailwinds behind them, where things are moving forward because of strong brand foundations, our jobs become exponentially easier.

The products are being developed with intention. There's strength behind the brand itself, not just the company. The creative work becomes about amplifying something that already exists rather than trying to create demand from nothing.

Most companies are trying to use advertising to do the heavy lifting that brand building should be doing. That's backwards.

Build the brand first. Let the ads amplify it.

I always want to write on things that can help you.

Is there anything you want to see me write about for you? Reply here and ask for anything you need.

Thank you for reading. I really appreciate it.

Until then, keep creating!

Matthew Gattozzi

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