For business leaders looking to grow their brands, success isn’t just about following the latest digital trends or pushing for quick sales. The real secret lies in long-term brand growth—a concept backed by the world famous Ehrenberg-Bass Institute and marketing expert Byron Sharp.

Even though this approach has been around for over a decade, many companies in Central and Eastern Europe still focus on short-term tactics rather than building brands that last.

The Problem with Short-Term Thinking

Many businesses today are obsessed with quick results—tweaking influencer campaigns, launching new digital ads, and optimizing online sales funnels. While these can drive short-term spikes in sales, they often don’t help brands grow in the long run. The key to lasting success is making sure more people recognize, remember, and choose your brand over time. Brands that ignore this are at risk of fading into obscurity once the next marketing fad takes over.

How Strong Brands Win

The best brands make sure they are easy to recognize and easy to find. This means:

• Being top-of-mind when people are ready to buy (mental availability).
• Being available wherever customers shop (physical availability).

Take Pöttyös, for example. This Hungarian brand could have remained just another milk snack, but instead, it grew into a category leader. How? By constantly expanding its product range—offering new flavors and formats for different occasions—and by reinforcing its brand identity with consistent messaging. Over 20 years, Pöttyös didn’t just chase short-term trends; it built a strong, recognizable brand that keeps growing.

Another great example is Zubrowka, a well-known Polish vodka brand. Instead of constantly reinventing itself, Zubrowka leaned into its strengths—heritage, craftsmanship with the unique added bison grass and memorable „mascot”, and variety. By staying true to its identity while introducing new flavors, Zubrowka has remained highly relevant and competitive against global brands.

Then there’s Kofola, the Czech-Slovak soft drink brand that has held its own against Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Kofola built a strong emotional connection with consumers by emphasizing nostalgia and local pride. By staying true to its unique taste and identity, Kofola has managed to grow while keeping its loyal customer base.

Smart Marketing: Stay Consistent, Stay Creative

One of the biggest trends in marketing today is compound creativity. This doesn’t mean constantly changing your brand but rather sticking with what works and building on it over time. The best brands:

• Keep their look and message consistent.
• Reinforce their unique identity instead of copying competitors.
• Find new ways to stay relevant without losing their essence.

Pöttyös, for example, used influencers to launch its protein snack, but this wasn’t a one-time gimmick. It was part of a bigger plan to expand its product range and attract new customers. The same applies to Zubrowka and Kofola, which have consistently reinforced their brand image while innovating within their categories.

The Right Balance: Short-Term Wins vs. Long-Term Growth

This is not to say that brands should abandon performance marketing. A well-optimized digital marketing funnel and targeted „bottom-of-funnel” activities remain essential. However, focusing solely on these efforts at the expense of long-term penetration building is shortsighted.

The best brands find a balance by:

• Expanding the brand’s reach to the widest possible audience.
• Ensuring their products are easy to buy, within an „arms length” both in stores and online.
• Strengthening „memory structures” so that the brand remains top-of-mind in key consumption moments.
• Making sure people remember them when they need a product – hooking into their category entry points.
• Continuously adding product variations that cater to relevant category occasions.

The Bottom Line

To build a brand that lasts, don’t just focus on short-term spikes in sales. Instead, invest in making your brand widely known, easy to recognize, and always available. Strong brands aren’t built overnight—they grow steadily by staying consistent, relevant, and top-of-mind for customers. So yes, optimize those digital campaigns, but remember to keep your eyes on the bigger picture: consistent brand building that compounds over time.

So tell us: what do you think is the biggest challenge in balancing short-term sales and long-term brand growth? Is it different in CEE than anywhere else? Which local brands have managed to stay relevant over time, and what’s their secret?

The article was written by László Aczél, Managing Faculty and Head of Marketing and Partnerships at SEED Executive School.