Brand vs non-brand PPC: how to think about both
Brand campaigns win on headline efficiency but are largely defensive. Non-brand campaigns win on incremental growth at higher cost. Separate them, measure incrementality, and do not let brand's cheap ROAS flatter the account.
Brand campaigns bid on your own name and convert cheaply with high ROAS, but much of that traffic would reach you anyway, so their incrementality is often low. Non-brand campaigns pursue new demand at higher cost and lower ROAS but drive genuine growth. The honest approach measures and manages them separately, since blending them hides where growth actually comes from.
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Get your auditBook a call| Dimension | Brand campaigns | Non-brand campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per conversion | Low | Higher |
| Reported ROAS | Very high | Lower |
| Incrementality | Often low | Higher |
| Growth contribution | Limited, defensive | Genuine new demand |
| Purpose | Protect and capture existing demand | Create and capture new demand |
| Competitive defense | Strong | Not applicable |
| Scalability | Capped by brand searches | Scales with demand |
| Measurement clarity | Flattering if blended | Clearer growth signal |
- You need to defend brand terms against competitors
- You want to control the message on your own name
- You are capturing high-intent existing demand cheaply
- Protecting the branded search experience matters
- Competitors are bidding on your brand
- You want genuine growth from new demand
- You are measuring incremental contribution honestly
- You need to scale beyond your existing brand searches
- You want to reach people who do not know you yet
- Growth, not headline ROAS, is the goal
Brand campaigns show a very high ROAS because they capture cheap, high-intent branded searches, but much of that traffic would convert through organic or direct anyway, so their incremental value is often low. Non-brand campaigns cost more and show lower ROAS but drive genuine new demand. Blending the two produces a flattering account ROAS that hides where growth comes from. Measure them separately, and judge brand on incrementality rather than its flattering headline efficiency.
This is not a migration but a separation. Brand and non-brand should be distinct campaigns so their very different economics are visible, and brand should be measured on incrementality, cautiously testing how much of it is truly additive versus defensive. Do not cut non-brand because its ROAS looks worse than brand, since non-brand is where growth lives. Manage each for its purpose with clear eyes on incrementality.
Numbers on this page are illustrative benchmarks or model outputs, not guaranteed returns. Actual performance depends on your account history, offer, margin, and competitive set. Nothing here is financial advice or a warranty of results.
Disclosure. iClick has no stake in either campaign type, so this comparison reflects only its operating view. iClick's consistent position is that brand and non-brand must be measured separately and brand judged on incrementality, which is advice offered regardless of account.
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