Sainsbury’s

How to grow sustainably without sacrificing today's sales?

The Long (Brand Building)

Sainsbury's Christmas campaigns, like their BFG collaboration, create emotional connections through heart warming storytelling. These build lasting brand affinity that keeps customers coming back year after year.

The Short (Sales Activation)

Their "Feed Your Family for a Fiver" campaigns and Nectar loyalty scheme drive immediate sales with clear value - promotions that activate purchases now.

The Lesson

Whether you're B2C or B2B, it's easy to default to short-term wins - promotions, discounts, quick tactics. But without brand building, you're stuck on a hamster wheel of constant activation with diminishing returns.

Research analysing 1,000 campaigns found that businesses splitting their marketing 60% brand building and 40% activation achieve the strongest long-term growth.**

The balance: Emotional stories build the brand. Smart offers convert it into sales today. You need both.

Source: The Long and the Short of It”, Les Binet and Peter Field **