The missing piece: Brand story in the age of growth hacking

Nearly a decade ago, while leading the south division of a network agency, I was contacted by a brand with a job opening. Upon further inquiry, the role turned out to be "Growth" with some additional responsibilities. The title intrigued me. After asking for more details, I learned it involved using Facebook marketing tactics, Google search optimization, data analysis, and strategic planning to drive business growth. "Is this performance marketing?" I asked. "No, it's different," they replied.  

Fast forward eight years, and we now see titles like Search Growth, Content Growth, Social Growth, eCommerce Growth Manager, and Growth @Brand. This begs the question: Has "growth" finally found its rightful place in marketing?  

In my interactions with many brands, I encounter a barrage of catchphrases: "Let's create content," "Let's do some trendjacking," "Let's have a topical calendar," "What should be the blog strategy?" "Let's dominate search," and so on. At some point, I find myself wanting to ask: "What about the brand itself?" Where does brand marketing or brand story fit within these tactics and strategies? The response is often a dismissive, "Oh, well, the brand has to be there everywhere."  

Easier said than done, I would argue. While times and skillsets have changed, advertising professionals now face constant pressure to meet growth expectations. Traditional agencies of the past might have produced 30 print ads a year. Today's agencies are expected to churn out 30 posts (static, video, and animated), several blog articles, reviews, responses, and Quora articles every month, all at a fraction of the cost. This isn't growth marketing; it's exploitation, in my opinion.  

Yes, the digital world has transformed our tools and consumer expectations. However, I believe brand narrative has become even more powerful. The average Indian is exposed to over 600 ads or pieces of content daily across various media. How can a brand truly differentiate itself by simply focusing on features, offers, affordability, or influencer content, without a compelling brand story or narrative? How much brand loyalty can be generated through increasing likes, reducing CPC or CPRP, or creating a viral video? 

This isn't to say that these tactics are irrelevant in today's ecosystem. My point is that a strong brand story should be the foundation upon which everything else is built. If I had a choice, I would prioritize and dedicate resources to consistently building brand pull, allowing the rest of the team do search domination, meaningful content, and social media dominance to organically amplify the business.  

Let's be honest – people don't choose Nike because they're the best at search, social media, or influencer marketing. They excel at crafting the right brand narrative, which is then effectively supported by all the new-age tools.  

I fear that with such a strong emphasis on growth marketing, we're all becoming lazy marketers, obsessing over vanity metrics that look good on year-end reports. The solution lies in starting with a deep understanding of consumer needs and purchase cycles. What are consumers looking for, and how often do they buy products in specific categories? This knowledge allows us to create targeted content closer to the purchase timeframe.  

For example, FMCG products are typically bought at the beginning of the month. Creating content throughout the month as part of a social and content strategy may not be the most effective approach, unless there's a strong brand interaction right before purchase. Why not focus on creating 3-4 impactful interactions during the last week of the month instead?