Brandquisition: Winning Market Share with a Smart Brand + Demand Strategy
Brandquisition isn’t just a clever term—it’s a smart strategy for modern marketers navigating tight budgets, long sales cycles, and brand-skeptical boards. In this session, Kristin Russel, CMO at Symplr, shares how her team built a category-defining brand that didn’t just drive awareness—it drove revenue. From blending brand and demand into one cohesive strategy to using SEO, content, and creative storytelling as growth levers, Kristin breaks down how to win market share by standing out, not shouting louder.Â
In an era characterized by rapid technological shifts and evolving consumer behaviors, marketers continue to grapple with the age-old dilemma: brand versus demand. However, in a recent session of the Game Changers CMO series, marketing leaders Lindsay Tjepkema and Kristin Russel introduced a novel approach that may forever change how this conversation unfolds. The answer lies in a strategy they’ve dubbed “Brandquisition.”
The Genesis of Brand Acquisition
Kristin, Chief Marketing Officer at Symplr, articulates a combined approach by uniting brand marketing and demand generation. “It is literally, in my mind, the combination of brand marketing and acquisition marketing,” Kristin explains. Brandquisition, as she defines it, ensures that a company invests in its brand while simultaneously driving demand through acquisition channels. This alignment helps brands innovate, adapt, and grow organically, enhancing their market presence.
Simplifying the Complex
At Symplr, they strategically embraced this approach to tap into the extensive solutions already utilized by healthcare organizations. “For the company that coined the term and the team behind it, it’s actually been a really incredibly smart, meaningful strategy for growth,” asserts Lindsay. Kristin underscores this sentiment, stating, “If you’re marketing in a vertical, even in a large organization, B2B or B2C, some of these tactics may differ a little bit, but there’s this need to invest in your brand.”
Kristin further notes that the role of brandquisition became particularly pivotal for Symplr as they navigated the complexities of multiple acquisitions. With nine acquisitions under their belt in recent years, Symplr faced the challenge of introducing new brands to their existing customer base without causing confusion. “I can’t just start marketing to those customers about a new brand. I’ve gotta do some work to pull the brands together,” Kristin explains.
Unifying Brand and Demand
Brands of all sizes can benefit from this strategic convergence. “You have to have a brand team, have an acquisition team, and connect those two organizations,” Kristin advises. She emphasizes the importance of setting clear objectives and aligning cross-functional goals. “We’ve got a growth target. We’ve got a brand target. We want to be number one in share of voice in our brand.”
Yet, executing brandquisition effectively requires robust creativity and innovative communication. Kristin highlights the critical role of storytelling in driving brand recall. “It’s about connecting humans with the brand and capturing attention with creative content and storytelling.”
Critical Takeaway: Creating a Category
A particularly notable achievement for Symplr was creating an entirely new category in the healthcare operations space. “We had to introduce the category, grow the category, and now, I can firmly say it is a category,” notes Kristin. The creation and leadership within this new category further spotlight the potential impact of strategic brand acquisition.
Moving Forward with Brand Acquisition
Brandquisition isn’t just a passing trend; it’s a strategic imperative for organizations looking to outpace their competitors. Kristin’s closing advice to fellow marketers focuses on tapping into authentic storytelling and ensuring that creative and branding strategies align with acquisition goals across every channel: “We are pushing forward, using this as a strategy all the time.”
Conclusion
As Kristin and Lindsay make clear, the conversation should no longer pit brand against demand. Instead, companies must explore how these facets can converge to create sustainable growth. As marketers navigate uncertain times, brand acquisition presents a robust strategy that not only resolves existing tensions but also paves the way for future innovations in the marketing landscape.
