FOCUS: BRAND BURN RATE | AUDIENCE: INVESTORS IN SLUGGISH BRANDS
BY: SHOBHA PONNAPPA | BRAND BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGIST | 45 YEARS | 125+ CLIENTS
I answer 6 tough questions about when brand investments keep increasing but word-of-mouth traction drops … and what this signals.
I often hear this concern from investors: “We’ve put in the money. The brand looks alive. But no one is buzzing.” The dashboards show media spend climbing, creatives going out, and teams expanding. But beyond paid reach, there’s no natural echo. No DMs, no tags, no referrals. The spend is running hot … but the signal is running cold. In this post, I unpack six questions that reveal why burn without buzz is a red flag for sluggish brand energy.
Because talkability doesn’t follow spend … it follows meaning. Many brands push media without ensuring there’s something worth discussing. If the campaign says what everyone else is saying, audiences don’t repeat it.
What spreads is something that makes people feel seen, smart, or stirred. Without that emotional jolt or intellectual twist, the brand may be present but forgettable. Amplification only happens when there’s real insight or spark behind the message.
Often, yes. I’ve seen brands with a solid brand idea fall flat because the creative expression lacked nerve. Stock visuals, over-polished animations, and cliché language make campaigns look safe and expensive … but also bland.
A brave brand move doesn’t have to be loud. It just has to be distinct. If no one’s quoting your ad or referencing your line, your creative is leaking energy. Most campaigns die in the middle zone between safety and edge.
Media matters, but it rarely explains the full picture. Even when reach is strong, if relevance is weak, nothing sticks. I’ve seen high-budget campaigns run across the right channels, but the audience just scrolls past.
The issue isn’t exposure … it’s absorption. People don’t reshare what doesn’t interrupt their mental pattern. Spend on more slots won’t solve for lack of substance.
Yes, but delayed isn’t the same as dormant. Sometimes word-of-mouth builds quietly, especially in high-trust or B2B categories. But even then, there should be early indicators: referral codes, content shares, brand name mentions, or even light chatter in closed groups.
If all of these are absent, it’s likely not a lag … it’s a lack of resonance. Dormant buzz means the message isn’t carrying enough weight to travel on its own.
Influencers can amplify a strong brand story … but they can’t invent it. If the brand’s narrative is flat, influencer posts feel like paid promotion, not organic endorsement. Their followers may see the post, but they won’t internalise the message.
One test I use: if the influencer were to speak your brand line in their voice, would it still sound true? If it sounds like a sponsored add-on, the brand lacks root-level relevance.
It reveals a troubling mismatch between investment and organic return. High burn with no spread often signals a brand that has been “built on broadcast,” not on connection. It may be too inside-out, talking about itself rather than becoming a part of its customer’s language.
Strong brands embed themselves into daily reference. If no one can remember a line, repeat a phrase, or share a feeling … you’re funding forgettability. And when memory fades, momentum soon follows.
If this describes your brand portfolio, it may be time to pause the next spend cycle and reframe the core story. Word-of-mouth can’t be bought … it has to be sparked. Find the truth that lights up the customer so much that they can’t help but tell someone else.
If you’re brand owner or manager seeking stronger brand performance, this FAQ Insight Post I wrote could interest you: “FAQs: When Website Traffic Stays Up but Conversions Slide Down.“
And if you’re a solo expert looking to sharpen traction, this FAQ Insight Post I worked on may resonate: “FAQs: Why Your Website Isn’t Pulling Its Weight Anymore.“
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