Balancing Brand and Performance

In a recent episode of the MarketMy.ai Podcast, seasoned marketing leader Neema Shah joined host Fiona Sherwood to explore brand marketing, performance metrics, creative strategy, and the growing role of AI in modern marketing.
Neema’s route into the profession was anything but traditional.

“I did a law degree and realised pretty much day one of the course that I really didn't want to be a lawyer,”

she said. It was the allure of combining creativity with data-led insight that ultimately drew her into the marketing world.

From early experience at Sky to leading the marketing and consumer communications function at Freeview, Neema has built a career that spans major media brands, strategic partnerships, and standout challenger campaigns.

Brand vs Performance: Why the Best Marketers Master Both

Neema was clear about the value of brand marketing, even as performance marketing continues to dominate many boardroom conversations.

“I’m a big advocate of brand. It sometimes gets a bit of a bad press… but the two should work hand in hand,”

she said. Referencing studies like The Long and the Short of It and Profit Ability 2, Neema highlighted that brand building is not just a long-term play, it can also impact short-term metrics such as profit and customer lifetime value.

“TV, for instance, was shown to be the second most effective channel for driving business metrics after generic search,”

she noted. Yet, she acknowledges the practical realities.

“For smaller brands, it can be harder to make the case for brand investment. But even starting with a small allocation or testing regionally can help build the case for scale.”

Measuring Success: Brand Effectiveness Doesn’t Have to Be a Mystery

Where performance marketing offers immediate insights, brand marketing can feel nebulous, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be measured. Neema shared her experience using YouGov brand trackers, quarterly surveys, and creative testing tools like System1 to quantify brand impact.

“We measured spontaneous and prompted awareness, consideration, connection… all of which gave us a sense of how our messaging was landing, and when performance improves without changing tactics, it’s often a signal that brand activity is working.”

Creative on a Budget: Lessons from a Challenger Brand

At Freeview, Neema led a marketing team with just 1% of the sector’s total budget, but that constraint became a catalyst for innovation.

“We had to be really savvy with how we used media. When you can’t outspend your competitors, you have to outthink them.”

One campaign, developed with Anomaly, mimicked continuity announcements to deliver subtle, brand-led messages alongside popular shows like The Great British Bake Off.

“It allowed us to get closer to the content in a more personalised way,” 

she explained. While the campaign was resource-intensive, it delivered strong results and even won industry awards.

Neema also spearheaded strategic partnerships that delivered co-branded activity on a contra basis.

“We started with a small allocation, and by the time I left, those partnerships were driving seven-figure value.”

Repositioning with Purpose: Evolving Brand Identity

As Freeview evolved into a streaming-led service with Freeview Play, Neema oversaw a brand refresh aimed at appealing to younger audiences, without alienating the platform’s core user base.

“You don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water. We used data to understand where we were strongest and where we needed to stretch. It was all about refining our ideal customer profiles and testing the new identity at every stage.”

She also led the launch of Freely, a brand-new initiative requiring full brand development from the ground up, including naming, proposition, visual identity, and consumer testing.

Tech, AI and the Future of Marketing

As the MarketMy.ai Podcast name suggests, technology was a key focus in the conversation, especially the impact of AI.
Neema described her use of GumGum, an AI-powered contextual targeting tool, at Freeview:

“It allowed us to serve personalised ads without relying on first-party data, and it performed really well.”

But she also expressed caution about the broader implications of AI.

“There are questions around accuracy, sustainability, and even job displacement. Consumers are likely to become more curious about how brands are using AI, especially its environmental and ethical impact.”

She referenced Google Gemini’s occasional inaccuracies and the broader need for human oversight in content quality and brand representation.

While AI can streamline creative production and enhance targeting, Neema predicts a growing premium on the human touch.

“I hope the human element becomes more valued. There’s always going to be a need for emotional nuance, originality, and creativity that AI can’t fully replicate.”

Final Advice: Be Experimental, Be Agile

Neema closed the episode with a note of encouragement for fellow marketing leaders. She emphasised agility and adaptability as essential traits for any marketer.

“Don’t be afraid to experiment. Start small, build your case with data, and always be open-minded to what’s coming next. The future of marketing is going to demand creativity, tech fluency, and above all, the ability to pivot. That’s how you build resilient brands.”

Listen to Neema Shah’s full episode on the MarketMy.ai Podcast to hear more about her experiences, strategic thinking, and predictions for the future of marketing.

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