Understanding ‘The Long and the Short of It’ in Growth Marketing
Growth marketers often face the challenge of balancing short-term results with long-term brand building. The concept known as ‘The Long and the Short of It’, introduced by marketing experts Les Binet and Peter Field, provides a clear framework to help marketers achieve sustainable growth. Their research emphasises the importance of combining immediate sales activation with ongoing brand-building activities.
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Key Insights from ‘The Long and the Short of It’
Binet and Field’s research highlights several important insights for growth marketers:
| Insight | Description |
|---|---|
| Balance Is Essential | Effective marketing strategies combine short-term sales activation with long-term brand building. |
| The 60:40 Rule | Typically, the optimal balance is 60% brand building and 40% sales activation. |
| Brand Building Drives Sustainable Growth | Long-term brand building creates emotional connections, improves brand recall, and supports sustained growth. |
| Sales Activation Generates Immediate Results | Short-term campaigns drive immediate actions such as purchases, sign-ups, or enquiries, delivering quick ROI. |
| Context Matters | Factors like purchase frequency, market competition, and business maturity influence the ideal balance. |
Explaining the 60:40 Ratio
While the recommended ratio is 60% brand building and 40% sales activation, this balance can vary depending on your business context:
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Purchase Frequency: For infrequent, high-value purchases (e.g. property or vehicles), brand building is critical. Customers must remember and trust your brand when they’re ready to buy.
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Market Competition: In highly competitive markets, increasing sales activation can help quickly capture market share and demonstrate immediate value.
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Business Stage: Early-stage businesses typically need more immediate sales activation to validate product-market fit and generate cash flow, but brand building remains important to establish credibility.
Brand Building vs Sales Activation for Startups and Small Businesses
Startups and small businesses often have limited resources, making immediate ROI essential. In these cases, the balance typically shifts towards sales activation, with ratios like 40:60 or even 30:70 being common. Short-term results help validate demand, attract initial customers, and maintain cash flow.
However, even with a stronger focus on immediate results, foundational brand-building activities should not be ignored. Establishing a clear brand identity early helps build trust and recognition, setting the stage for future growth. For another perspective on balancing proven tactics with innovation, see Coca-Cola’s 70-20-10 Marketing Investment Strategy.
Criticisms of ‘The Long and the Short of It’
Despite its popularity, Binet and Field’s framework has faced some criticism:
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Bias Towards Large Companies: The original research primarily uses data from large, established businesses, potentially limiting its relevance for smaller or newer companies.
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Pre-Digital Origins: Critics argue the framework doesn’t fully account for digital-first strategies, where rapid experimentation and data-driven decisions dominate.
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Emphasis on Emotional Advertising: The research strongly favours emotional brand-building campaigns, which may be less effective in B2B contexts where rational messaging is often more persuasive.
How Growth Method Helps You Balance Short-Term and Long-Term Marketing
Balancing short-term sales activation and long-term brand building requires a structured, data-driven approach. Growth Method is the only work management platform built specifically for growth marketers, helping teams manage this balance effectively.
Here’s how Growth Method supports your growth marketing strategy:
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Ideation: Our intuitive ideation system ensures your growth ideas align with strategic goals, are automatically categorised, and follow hypothesis best practices. Ideas are shared with your entire team, keeping everyone informed and aligned.
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Experimentation: Growth Method incorporates best practices from leading growth teams. Experiments move through clear stages—building, live, analysing, and complete—to maximise velocity and learning.
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Reporting: Demonstrate the value of your marketing efforts with professional, detailed reports. Easily communicate high-level strategy, tactical execution, and results to stakeholders, proving ROI and securing buy-in.
“We are on-track to deliver a 43% increase in inbound leads this year. There is no doubt the adoption of Growth Method is the primary driver behind these results.” Laura Perrott, Colt Technology Services
Final Thoughts
Understanding ‘The Long and the Short of It’ helps growth marketers make informed decisions about resource allocation, campaign planning, and strategic direction. While the 60:40 ratio provides a useful benchmark, it’s important to adapt this balance to your specific context, goals, and market conditions.
Growth Method simplifies this process, providing the tools and insights you need to execute effectively, measure results, and continuously optimise your marketing strategy.
Ready to implement a systematic approach to growth marketing? Book a call today and discover how Growth Method can help your team drive sustainable growth.