System1 Tests Cannes Lions Creativity Winners Long-term and Short-term Brand Building Strategies

System1, the Creative Effectiveness Platform analysed over 40K advertisements through their star rating (long-term market share growth) and spike rating (short-term sales potential) metrics to understand long-term versus short-term performance marketing tactics. Their research proved that it’s in advertisers’ best interest to aim for long-term growth, because long-term brand building ultimately supports short-term sales in the process. However, the short-term performance goals do not typically take care of the long-term market share growth. 

System1 tested Cannes Lions awarded work to prove their research further – specifically testing Tide’s “Need More Tide” campaign and Doordash’s “Doordash-all-the-ads” campaign. We’ve included more details on their long term versus short term results below. 

Unfortunately, in today’s advertising landscape, many advertisers continue to lean into performance marketing, which primarily supports sales in the short-term, rather than focus on the broader potential for long-term market share growth and building profit.

The research unveils that advertisers need to invest in the kind of creative that will help them grow: long-term brand building. So, how can a brand ensure it makes decisions that set it on the path for long-term success? 

In order to focus on the long-term, brands need to hone in on communication that creates long-term memories and builds awareness of their brand or product. 

The creative strategies that will enhance the long-term market share growth include right-brained advertising, which captures the broad-beam attention of those not currently on the journey to buy. Long-term advertising tactics include using characters, storytelling, implicit communication, melodic music, cultural references, nostalgia and more within their advertisements.

On the other hand, a brand that’s focusing on the short-term is trying to evoke an immediate response from the market. Short-term growth drives short-term activity, like sales, donations or other calls to action. Buy our new burger, test drive our latest car, or purchase our product during our special promotion.

Ads that focus on functional benefits rather than storytelling assume the audience’s interest in the product and are less likely to contribute to long-term market share growth.

As the largest database in the industry – System1 remains to be an ally to advertisers to achieve both their long and short term goals by accurately predicting the outcome of brand building efforts – and anticipating the future of brand recognition and growth.