How to Calculate (and Fix) Your Brand-to-Product Marketing Ratio

Many marketers are familiar with Binet and Field’s legendary 60/40 rule: A marketing budget should allocate 60% toward long-term brand building and 40% toward short-term sales activation. It’s a solid rule of thumb. The problem is, many organizations aren’t actually sitting down to calculate their current ratio and, as a result, are probably underinvesting in brand marketing without realizing it.

At Redhead, we don’t focus much on product- or sales-driven marketing — and that often surprises people. While some people tend to think marketing is just about selling something (and fast), we believe that’s a narrow view. We build holistic brands: strategic, thoughtful, story-first work that makes people feel something. 

Of course, product marketing has its place. (Usually about 40% of your focus, to be exact.) But when it’s done without a strong brand foundation, it shows. You can spot these sales-focused campaigns from a mile away: Loud headlines, clunky layouts, no recognition, no consistency, no soul. In the digital realm, these often veer into “spammy” and we scroll right past. Effective marketing considers the brand alongside the product (or service, or specific call to action, or what have you). It’s design-conscious, emotionally intelligent, and aligned with who you are as a brand. Here at Redhead, that’s our sweet spot.

Defining Brand Marketing and Product Marketing

To clarify, when we say “product marketing,” we don’t always mean a literal product to be sold; this includes any service, specific call to action, or message you want your audience to get on board with. For mission-driven campaigns, this is often the conversion of thought, or getting a reader over to your way of thinking to, hopefully, make a positive change. Product marketing is all about the specifics — what you’re “selling,” who it’s for, and how it solves a problem. It’s often trackable and traceable.

Brand marketing, on the other hand, is the long game of your identity. It focuses on building recognition, trust, and emotional connection over time. You’re not selling something specific; you’re selling your story. It’s how people feel when they see your logo or hear your name.

The key difference? Product marketing is just one sales-centric tactic within your broader brand marketing umbrella. Brand marketing paints the big picture, and gives people a reason to care. Still, too often, people make product marketing their entire umbrella and let their brand fall to the wayside. A classic example of putting the cart before the horse, this strategy leaves many marketers wondering why their ads don’t convert. (Spoiler: It’s because the audience doesn’t know who you are in the first place.) 

Finding Your Product/Brand Marketing Ratio

If your gut says you might be leaning too hard into product, here’s a quick way to check: 

Step 1: Review your marketing investment.

Consider the amount of funds, time, or campaigns you’ve invested in product vs. brand marketing campaigns over the past year. (To scale this down, it might be easier to look at just the past month or even the past week.) 

• How much of your marketing focused on specific products, services, or offers? (Product marketing)
• How much of your marketing told a story about your identity, values, or purpose? (Brand marketing)

Step 2: Calculate your current ratio.

Don’t worry, this doesn’t have to be exact. The product-to-brand marketing ratio is simply intended to give you a broad idea of where this balance currently stands for you. For example: 

• 2 brand campaigns + 8 product campaigns = 20/80 split
• $68,000 on brand advertising + $100,000 on product ad campaigns = 40/60 split 

Step 3: Adjust based on your business goals.

If you're a new business: We’d recommend tweaking the Binet and Field ratio to amp up brand marketing at the start. Consider at least 80% brand / 20% product to build awareness and identity during the launch phase. 

If you're emphasizing a new service or product line: Once your brand is in place and you want to double down on a specific product, service, or call-to-action, try shifting to 40% brand / 60% product marketing to drive short-term performance. The key here: Don’t forget about that 40%. Brand marketing never falls below zero. 

If you're well-established: Aim for that magic 60/40 brand-to-product marketing balance to maintain consistency and conversion. 

The Takeaway

According to Harvard Business Review, 60% of marketing ROI comes from long-term brand-building efforts. That’s because people don’t just buy products — they buy into brands. Still, HBR also found that campaigns that combine brand and product marketing achieve a higher effectiveness rate than those that use only one approach.

Product marketing gets attention. But brand marketing earns trust. One drives action. The other fosters loyalty. You need both, but only one will sustain you.

Check your ratio. Rebalance if needed. Stop shouting and start connecting.