How to sell brand investment to stakeholders (without losing your mind)

If you’ve ever tried to pitch bold brand ideas to a boardroom full of number-crunchers, you’ll know the feeling: a sea of polite nods, a few raised eyebrows, and then the inevitable question — “But what’s the ROI?”

Mark Ritson, the patron saint of common sense in marketing, recently shared a killer framework in Marketing Week for answering that question. It’s basically a survival kit for anyone trying to convince stakeholders that brand is not just a “nice-to-have” but a long-term growth engine. And we’re here for it.

Let’s break it down.

1. Get the brief right (and make some noise)

Ritson says: “You need a mandate to change things. That’s your get-out-of-jail card to critique what came before.”

Before you even mention typography or tone of voice, make sure the leadership team has actually asked for change. If they haven’t, start by creating the space for it — a solid brand audit, a punchy presentation, or even a simple “What’s not working?” session can kick things off. You need permission to challenge the status quo, or at least a little buy-in for questioning it.

2. Speak fluent boardroom

Creative folk tend to lead with gut, emotion, and culture. Stakeholders? Not so much. They want to know the upside, the risk, and how it all ties back to business goals. As Ritson puts it, you’ve got to “manage up properly.”

‘Look around the boardroom. Identify the powerful players and work hard to identify what they want. Then drop a long line of breadcrumbs from brand building to these unspoken desires.’

Translate the creative vision into their language. Don’t just say “this will elevate our brand” — say “this will help us command higher prices, grow market share, and outlast trend-based competitors.” Make it commercial.

3. Tell them why it matters (not just what it is)

It’s not about “a new brand identity.” It’s about fixing broken perceptions, making the sales team’s job easier, and setting the business up for long-term growth. Your stakeholders aren’t emotionally invested in creative — they’re emotionally invested in results.

‘The great irony of the ROI-obsessed, short-term approach to marketing is that it leaves enormous amounts of potential money on the table. Make that point, and make it aggressively.’

Ritson says, “The ‘why’ is what gets the board to buy into your plan.” So make the ‘why’ watertight.

4. Use proof, not just passion

One stunning concept won’t win them over — but a few real-world examples might. Ritson recommends using case studies to show how long-term brand building has worked for others.

‘Everything you propose should ultimately link to sales, profit and growth. The good news is that there is a treasure trove of data showing that brands deliver exactly that.’

Also: don’t be afraid to show your own past wins. Prove that brand done well = business that grows.

5. Brand your branding

This is a fun one. According to Ritson, if you want your plan to stick, name it. Build a narrative around it. Make it sound like a movement.

‘Good senior marketers spend a long time, and do a lot of advanced thinking, to produce a new approach that is so simple it can be summarised in one slide and widely seen around the organisation as ‘obvious’. That’s not an insult. You worked extra hard to make it look simple.’

Whether it’s “Project Rebirth” or “The Visibility Engine” (okay, maybe don’t use that), creating a catchy wrapper helps people remember — and rally around — your ideas.

6. Split the budget like a grown-up

Don’t ask for the full budget for brand with nothing for performance. It’ll make stakeholders twitchy. Instead, follow the rule of balance — Ritson recommends allocating separate funds for long-term brand building and short-term activation.

‘Ideally, the number might be 60% of the budget, but if you cannot get and hold that proportion for two or three years, you are better off with a consistent, carved off 30% to work with.’

That way, you’re not replacing performance — you’re complementing it. And that’s a much easier sell.

7. Measure it (in ways that make sense)

The final piece: metrics. The right ones. Ritson calls for “appropriate measurement” — meaning brand health, not just sales spikes.

‘The fundamental challenge of long-term brand building is that it takes time. You need the metrics to show the nature of the problem, then to set the benchmarks for change, then to chart the progress of the organisation before the money eventually starts to come in.’

Think brand recall, consideration, NPS, sentiment, share of search — whatever helps tell the long-term story. Paint the full picture, not just this quarter’s bottom line.

So how do you sell creative brand investment?

You make it make sense to the people signing the cheques.

It’s not about dumbing things down — it’s about making the value of creativity crystal clear. If you can frame your work as a commercial asset rather than a colourful expense, you’ll not only win more pitches — you’ll build something that lasts.

Want us to help you build the case for brand in your business? Let’s chat.