Australian business leaders widely acknowledge the importance of branding as a key driver of competitive advantage. However, most organisations are failing to embed brand management into their operational discipline, leading to a disconnect between belief and execution, according to a new survey of 164 CEOs and business leaders across 12 industry sectors.
Brand conviction
The survey found that 81% of respondents believe branding gives them a competitive edge, and 76% consider it a critical business asset. Despite this strong conviction, just 16% plan to increase their investment in branding over the next three years. Investment decisions are typically guided by availability of resources or leadership direction, rather than a structured commitment to brand development.
"Most Australian CEOs say they believe in brand, but belief isn't enough. The data shows businesses aren't managing it with the same discipline they apply to finance or operations, although they recognise its importance as a critical business asset," said Jodie de Vries, Founder of Tiny Hunter and author of the State of Business Branding 2026 report.
Inconsistent practice
The survey highlights that only 29% of organisations undertake regular, structured reviews of their brand. Most revisit the topic only during key milestones (36%) or manage it on a case-by-case or campaign basis (27%). This lack of ongoing commitment is more pronounced among small businesses, where 97% agree branding is important, yet only 18% have a comprehensive brand strategy.
Feedback indicates many brands are not consistently communicated: only 55% of respondents said their brand was consistent across all customer touchpoints. Meanwhile, 40% were unsure or disagreed that their brand clearly communicated a distinct point of difference in the market.
Brand and culture
While 69% said their brand identity is strong and understood internally, fewer (60%) believe it clearly sets them apart from competitors. The relationship between brand and company culture remains underdeveloped, with only 29% formally integrating brand into their employer value proposition. Half of those surveyed acknowledged the link between brand and culture but admitted they don't formally measure its impact.
The connection between customer and employee experience is broadly recognised, with 82% agreeing that employee experience directly influences customer experience. Yet only 32% invest in employee experience as a strategic focus, and 26% make no investment in this area.
"Brand is still too often treated as a marketing activity or a one-off project rather than a system that drives commercial performance, culture, and long-term value," said de Vries.
Adoption of AI
Artificial intelligence is beginning to make inroads into brand management. Sixteen per cent of leaders currently use AI to support branding, while a further 55% are open to using it in the future. Only 13% believe AI cannot replace human expertise in brand building, and nearly a fifth (17%) are unsure how to deploy AI to support their branding activities.
Measuring returns
Among businesses that measure return on investment in branding, reported outcomes include increased brand awareness (34%), stronger customer loyalty and advocacy (32%), higher rates of acquisition and retention (29%), improved employee attraction and retention (23%), and enhanced pricing power (18%).
"Belief in brands has never been higher, but belief alone doesn't build value. Structure does. The next step for Australian businesses to get ahead in 2026 is to embed brand thinking into the systems that drive their business and take the same disciplined approach that they do to the other parts of their business model," explained de Vries.
