The way I think about it: brand is your reputation. 
 Brand is not your logo. Not your website colors. Not the font that agency carefully selected. "Doing brand marketing" is not billboards. 
 "Doing brand marketing" does not mean just doing a bunch of stuff you can't measure. 
 Brand is about building your reputation. 
 And when you have a good one: 
 • Products sell faster • Partners want to work with you • Top candidates reach out first 
 I think "investing in brand” means actively shaping how people perceive and talk about you when you're not in the room. Here's how you can build brand: 
 1) Thought Leadership and Content 
 • Consistent, high-quality content: Articles, LinkedIn posts, podcasts, and videos that educate, challenge, and provide real insights. 
 • Founder-driven storytelling: People trust people, not faceless brands. Get your CEO and execs creating content that shares vision, expertise, and conviction. 
 • Deep, original research: Publish unique reports, data insights, or case studies that establish you as a category leader. 
 2) Customer Experience & Advocacy 
 • Deliver on promises: The best brand strategy is a great product and great support. Nothing destroys brand faster than failing customers. 
 • Turn customers into advocates: Case studies, testimonials, referrals. Make it easy (and rewarding) for customers to talk about you. 
 • Build community: Real engagement happens in communities, not just social media. Create a space where your customers connect, share, and get value. Or here on social, that can be community too. Doesn't have to be a walled community. 
 3) Brand Awareness & PR 
 • Earned media: Get written about in industry publications. Appear on podcasts. Get featured in newsletters. Or focus on social if (like most industries today) that is where the discussions are happening. 
 • Strategic partnerships: Partner with known, trusted brands and influencers to borrow their credibility. 
 • Memorable experiences: Events, webinars, and live activations that make an impression beyond just digital content. 
 *** 
 Take this definition and then think about what does it really mean when you say "We're investing in our brand this year" ?? 
 It doesn't mean just go do a bunch of marketing you can't measure...