Rethinking brand for the rise of digital commerce


A white paper on building brands for the post-pandemic era.

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The events of 2020 saw marketers cut their brand investment, focusing heavily on “performance” marketing and retail media. As digital commerce intensifies and platforms gain power, what’s the future of creative brand-building?

How can the marketing discipline rethink the way it talks about brand, and reframe it for the world of digital commerce and algorithms?

This white paper brings together new thinking and exclusive insights from industry experts such as James Hurman, the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, Wavemaker and Karen Nelson-Field, as well as media owners such as Facebook and Google, to equip marketers with the tools to plan effective communication strategies for digital commerce.

Keynote session at Cannes Lions Live 2021

In the white paper

In section one of the white paper, James Hurman argues that we’ve taken the wrong lesson from digital disruptor brands. He lays out an alternative way of thinking about brand and performance that helps bring the two closer together as complementary techniques.

In section two, David Tiltman assesses the current evidence for the role of brand in digital commerce, and how to plan effectively in a fast-changing landscape.

WARC Evidence decks

A series of WARC Evidence decks focusing on rethinking brand for the rise of digital commerce will be released throughout July (for subscribers only).

Does brand matter in digital commerce?

Addresses the importance of brand in digital commerce.

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How do you balance brand-building and performance for online sales?

Why marketers need to strike a new balance.

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Do you need online ads to drive online sales?

Asks whether the assumption that online sales require online ads needs to be challenged.

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