Performance marketing made brands sharper but not deeper. Over-optimisation has stripped away what actually makes campaigns work: emotion. Research from System1 and the IPA shows that emotional storytelling is the single biggest driver of long-term profit. This article explores why digital-first CMOs must learn to feel again, and why the future of effective marketing lies not in efficiency, but in empathy.

Digital-first growth is stalling. Costs are rising, reach is shrinking, and signals are fading. This guide shows how brands can rebalance their media mix by adding above-the-line activity without losing measurement discipline. With real examples from FMCG and automotive brands, it proves that brand building can make performance work harder.