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CMOs need to plan for ‘The Multiplier Effect’ between brand and performance techniques

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1 year ago

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WARC
  • Overinvesting in performance advertising reduces full revenue ROI by an average of 40%
  • Shifting from performance-only to a mixed approach increases full revenue ROI by an average of 90%
  • CMOs should allocate at least 30%, but usually between 40% and 60%, of budget to brand building
    Integration of brand and performance is key; siloed thinking undermines advertising returns
  • Ground-breaking research for effective advertising in the US

WARC in partnership with Analytic Partners, BERA.ai, Prophet and System1 release new research in The Multiplier Effect – a CMO’s guide to brand-building in the performance era

January 28, 2025 – As marketing enters the next phase of change, one steered by algorithm-driven media and AI-generated creative, and faces even greater pressure to deliver results, ground-breaking research is presented in a new report, The Multiplier Effect – a CMO’s guide to brand building in the performance era, to help marketers better understand how to deliver high-impact advertising.

Based on insights and data from a first-of-its kind coalition of marketing effectiveness experts, the report – published by WARC in partnership with Analytic Partners, BERA.ai, Prophet and System1 – makes a data-driven case for effective advertising. Backed by evidence, it argues that many businesses are missing out on significant revenues and profits through an incomplete approach to advertising, and offers advice on how advertising can deliver the best possible returns by building equity for tomorrow while driving sales today.

David Tiltman, Chief Content Officer, WARC, says: “For this new research, we joined forces with other leading experts in the field of marketing effectiveness to set about answering two big questions: First, can we identify US-based evidence to prove how investment in advertising can be the most effective? And second, how can CMOs apply this evidence to their own initiatives in order to supercharge commercial impact for their businesses?

“The result is The Multiplier Effect, a ground-breaking report that demonstrates how the biggest returns come when marketers see brand equity as an accelerant of commercial performance. Although the research is US-focused, the findings are relevant to many marketers around the world.”

Key insights outlined in The Multiplier Effect study are:

The rise of the “doom loop”

Over the past decade, advertising investment has increasingly become focused on performance advertising due to the rise of digital-native businesses, a bumpy economy, a fragmented media landscape, and the related shifts in consumer media consumption.

Performance advertising holds out the promise of immediate returns and near-endless optimization. But misleading metrics and diminishing returns mean marketers in many organizations risk diminishing the impact of their advertising by over-investing in performance and entering the “doom loop” of slow growth and declining effectiveness.

Performance and brand advertising combined deliver greater returns

Research by Analytic Partners reveals the greatest payback comes when performance-led and equity-led advertising are both part of the mix. Moving from a performance-only to a mixed approach can deliver an improvement in total revenue ROI in the range of 25% to 100% – with the average uplift coming in at 90%. Moving to a performance-only approach from a mixed approach, by contrast, results in an average decline in ROI of 40%.

Equity building has an effect on people who are not yet in-market, increasing the chances that they will consider a brand when the time comes to make a purchase.

System1 found that 92.1% of strong equity-building ads with impactful creative performed well in the short-term, too. These ads created both demand among consumers who are ready to buy as well as building long-term equity.

Prophet’s survey of 300 leading marketers in North America further reinforced the need to do both performance and brand advertising in a holistic way. Its survey identified the qualities which set over-performing companies apart – and it was not their spending patterns, which remained largely even across the “winners” and “losers”. 90% of “winning” companies were at least somewhat integrated when it comes to connecting brand and demand.

Introducing The Multiplier Effect

The evidence shows that the key to unlocking the power of brand building is to move away from conceptualizing brand and performance as separate activities (brand + performance), and instead basing advertising efforts on the fundamental codependency between these tasks as part of an integrated growth strategy (brand x performance).

This leads to The Multiplier Effect

Equity-led advertising can help drive sales today as well as in the future. And performance advertising can reinforce the brand while operating as efficiently as possible.

How to harness The Multiplier Effect for success

Marketers wanting to consider the implications of the codependency between brand and performance on their advertising and benefit from The Multiplier Effect should consider some of the following best practices:

For budgeting purposes, CMOs should be allocating at least 30% to equity-driving ads, or the “brand baseline”, with 40% to 60% a typical “best practice” range.
Search investment will vary by brand and category, but, for most brands, spending more than 25% of budgets on search should be a red flag. This is called the “search ceiling”.
Avoid thinking in silos when campaign planning; instead, think of full-funnel creative platforms, where different types of assets reinforce each other. The ideal is to “go deep” by integrating all creative assets within a platform.
Performance-led techniques, such as promotions, should still tie back to the core brand idea.
Build a “measurement stack” that can identify a brand’s “baseline” revenues and the incremental impact of advertising beyond it.

Summing up, Ann Marie Kerwin, Americas Editor, WARC, said: “As we look to continue the project through further rounds of research, there are still a number of questions to answer, such as how does advertising combine and align with other forms of activity to build equity, how do advertisers optimize creativity and how do marketers present this argument to the CFO.

“Ultimately, we need a model for building brands that is fit for the future of marketing. Recognizing the Multiplier Effect is an important first step.”

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Energy

High-Level Minister Roundup to Headline African Energy Week 2026

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1 day ago

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March 20, 2026

By

African Energy Chamber

African Energy Week 2026 will convene ministers from Algeria, Ghana, Senegal, Zambia and Niger to spotlight oil, gas expansion, reforms and investment opportunities continentwide

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 13, 2026/APO Group/ –A high-level ministerial roundup will take center stage at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 – taking place in Cape Town from 12–16 October –, convening some of the continent’s most influential energy leaders at a defining moment for Africa’s oil, gas and power sectors. As hydrocarbon expansion converges with accelerating energy transition strategies, the gathering is set to spotlight real-time project execution, regulatory reform and cross-border infrastructure that are actively reshaping Africa’s energy future.

 

Confirmed ministers to date include Algeria’s Minister of Energy and Renewable Energies Mourad Adjal, Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, Senegal’s Minister of Energy, Petroleum and Mines Birame Soulèye Diop, Zambia’s Minister of Energy Makozo Chikote and Niger’s Minster of Petroleum Hamadou Tinni.

 

Fresh from a March OPEC+ decision to lift output to 977,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), Algeria enters AEW 2026 amid a $60 billion sector transformation. The country is also advancing a 500-well exploration drive and accelerating its 1.48 GW “Project of the Century” solar rollout. Gas exports to Europe remains central to the country, supported by hydrogen corridor planning and refinery expansion aimed at boosting capacity to 50 million tons by 2029.

 

Following license extension for Jubilee and TEN to 2040 and the late-2025 restart of the Tema Oil Refinery, Ghana is pushing a $3.5 billion upstream reinvestment plan while settling $500 million in gas arrears. A 1,200 MW state thermal plant and expanded gas processing at Atuabo anchor its gas-to-power shift, alongside a renewed upstream push in the Voltaian Basin.

The participation of these distinguished ministers underscores the scale of opportunity unfolding across Africa’s energy landscape and the urgency of aligning policy with capital

 

Senegal’s delegation comes on the back of strong production momentum, with the Sangomar oil field delivering 36.1 million barrels in 2025, outperforming forecasts, while the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG development ramped up to 2.9 million tons per annum following first gas. Dakar is now prioritizing domestic gas through refinery upgrades at the SAR refinery and preparations for Sangomar Phase 2 to push output beyond 100,000 bpd.

 

Zambia is redefining its power mix after drought-induced hydro shortfalls. New solar capacity – including the 200 MW Chisamba expansion and 136 MW Itimpi Phase 2 – is part of a broader 2,500 MW diversification drive. Cabinet has approved major regional fuel pipelines, while the Energy Single Licensing System fast-tracks approvals. Lusaka targets 10 GW generation by 2030, with solar and wind rising to one-third of supply.

Niger’s presence reflects its emergence as a serious oil exporter, with the fully operational 1,950-km Niger-Benin pipeline now moving up to 90,000 bpd to international markets. Alongside uranium expansion and renewed cooperation with Algeria on upstream assets, Niamey is advancing digital oversight reforms and reinforcing energy sovereignty amid evolving geopolitical dynamics.

 

“The participation of these distinguished ministers underscores the scale of opportunity unfolding across Africa’s energy landscape and the urgency of aligning policy with capital,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “Their leadership reflects a continent moving decisively from strategy to execution, creating a platform where investors can engage directly with the policymakers shaping Africa’s next wave of oil, gas and energy growth.”

 

At AEW 2026, this ministerial cohort will be well-positioned to offer investors direct insight into Africa’s most dynamic energy markets – where new barrels, new pipelines and new megawatts are reshaping regional growth trajectories in real time.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Business

Enlit Africa 2026 Programme: 280+ speakers, African nuclear 2.0, Bruce Whitfield Business Breakfast

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1 day ago

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March 20, 2026

By

Enlit Africa

The event, taking place 19-21 May 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, expects 7,200+ attendees and 250+ exhibitors, making it Africa’s largest gathering of energy and water professionals

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 12, 2026/APO Group/ –Enlit Africa (https://apo-opa.co/4cEX08g) has released its full 2026 conference programme, featuring 280+ speakers across 8 specialised tracks including a new African Nuclear 2.0 session covering Koeberg’s 20-year life extension and Ghana’s nuclear vendor selection process.

 

The event, taking place 19-21 May 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, expects 7,200+ attendees and 250+ exhibitors, making it Africa’s largest gathering of energy and water professionals.

Award-winning business journalist and best-selling author Bruce Whitfield will deliver the opening address at the Project & Investment Network Business Breakfast on 19 May, kicking off three days of strategic sessions, deal-making platforms, and technical masterclasses.

New programme content includes:

African Nuclear 2.0 – A dedicated session examining the transition from planning to execution, featuring:

Koeberg Nuclear Power Station’s successful 20-year life extension (Units 1 and 2 now licensed until 2044/2045)

Ghana’s progression to Phase 3 of its nuclear programme, evaluating US, Chinese, and Russian technology bids

West African Power Pool‘s 10 GW regional nuclear capacity target

Small Modular Reactor (SMR) deployment readiness across African grids

Independent Transmission Projects (ITP) – A new session exploring how private investment is unlocking Africa’s transmission bottleneck, featuring global case studies from India’s PowerGrid and lessons for scaling grid capacity across the continent.

Generation Masterclasses – Five interactive roundtables on gas-to-power, nuclear, hydro power, clean coal, and hydrogen.

AI in Africa’s Power Grid – Examining practical deployment realities, real-time analytics, and predictive maintenance applications already in operation across African utilities.

Conference sessions and technical hub sessions on the expo floor are CPD-accredited by the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) and the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE).

Co-located platforms:

Water Security Africa features country playbooks from Namibia (55-year potable reuse programme), Uganda (NRW reduction from 42% to 32%), Cape Town (Day Zero recovery strategies), and sector-specific stewardship sessions with Harmony Gold, Heineken, Mediclinic, and Growthpoint Properties.

Project & Investment Network (P&IN), part of the new Level 2 Executive Experience, connects project developers, investors, African utility CEOs, and DFIs through structured matchmaking, ministerial dialogues, and project briefings. Over the past two years, P&IN has facilitated $3 billion in project pitches.

Utility CEO Forum brings together 35+ confirmed utility CEOs under Chatham House Rule for candid, off-the-record strategic discussions on unbundling, prosumer management, and financial sustainability.

Municipal Forum addresses South African municipalities’ distribution, metering, and revenue challenges, including sessions on NRW management, tariff reform, Cost of Supply studies, and electrifying informal settlements.

Technical Hub sessions on the exhibition floor offer free, CPD-accredited training across Power, Renewable Energy & Storage, and Water tracks, with confirmed speakers from Eskom, ENGIE SA, ACTOM, National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA), RenEnergy, and Matla Energy.

Site visits on 22 May include Koeberg Nuclear Power Station and the V&A Waterfront desalination plant.

Pass options:
Free expo pass registration: https://apo-opa.co/4bl2bYu

Free expo passes provide access to 250+ exhibitors and CPD-accredited Technical Hub sessions.

Delegate Pass:
Early bird registration closes 3 April 2026. Delegate passes start at R15,100 (Silver), with P&IN Executive passes at R32,000 including access to the Bruce Whitfield breakfast, Level 2 executive lounge, and investor matchmaking.

Download the full programme: https://apo-opa.co/3NwCble

Register: https://apo-opa.co/4cEX08g

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

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Business

Binance Secures Second Major Legal Victory in U.S. Court Under Anti-Terrorism Act in Two Weeks

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1 day ago

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March 20, 2026

By

Binance

US Federal Court in Alabama Dismisses All Claims Against Binance in Latest Lawsuit Victory

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 12, 2026/APO Group/ –Binance (www.Binance.com), the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced today that a U.S. federal court in Alabama has dismissed all claims against the company in a lawsuit alleging violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). This marks Binance’s second major legal victory in an  ATA matter within one week, following their victory in the Southern District of New York.

A Full and Complete Legal Victory

In a detailed 19-page ruling, the Court found the plaintiffs’ complaint to be legally and factually deficient. The court’s decision to dismiss every claim across the board represents a decisive legal victory for Binance.

Sanctions compliance and terrorism financing are serious matters of law – they require evidence, legal rigour, and due process

The judge described the filing as a “shotgun pleading.” The complaint failed to clearly specify the claims and improperly grouped all defendants together without distinguishing individual conduct or liability. The ruling also emphasized that the plaintiffs did not meet the basic pleading standard to provide a “short and plain statement” of their claims.

Following the ruling, the court granted the plaintiffs until April 10, 2026, to file an amended complaint addressing the deficiencies identified. However, the judge warned that failure to adequately address these issues would result in dismissal of the entire case.

Building on Momentum and Upholding Legal Integrity

“This decision reinforces our unwavering commitment to protecting Binance and our community from unsubstantiated and bad-faith lawsuits,” shared Eleanor Hughes, General Counsel at Binance. “Sanctions compliance and terrorism financing are serious matters of law – they require evidence, legal rigour, and due process. Courts have now examined these claims on two separate occasions and found them to be without merit. These outcomes speak for themselves. We will not tolerate attempts to misuse the legal system to target our industry, and we remain as committed as ever to transparency, security, and lawful conduct in everything we do”.

This latest decision follows closely on the heels of Binance’s comprehensive victory in New York (https://apo-opa.co/46Xg0ev), where the Court similarly rejected allegations that the company assisted, participated in, or conspired with terrorists. Together, these rulings reflect Binance’s strong resolve to protect its platform and community.

Binance has consistently invested in industry-leading compliance infrastructure, regulatory engagement, and legal governance. The company will continue to vigorously defend itself against any attempts to bring unfounded claims or misrepresent its operations.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Binance.

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