Mumbai: Dentsu has unveiled The Brand Reset, a new global study that challenges the marketing industry’s overreliance on short-term performance metrics and highlights a significant opportunity gap created by underinvestment in video for long-term brand building.
Developed in collaboration with Kantar and Lumen Research, the study is positioned as one of the largest datasets of its kind. It establishes, for the first time, a quantified link between attention, brand equity, and both short- and long-term sales outcomes. The research spans ten next-generation video platforms alongside Linear TV across the US and UK.
The findings build on dentsu’s earlier Attention Economy research, expanding its scope beyond immediate performance indicators to demonstrate how attention contributes to sustained commercial impact. The study also aims to provide marketers with measurable evidence to support long-term brand investments in boardroom discussions.
Key insights from The Brand Reset reveal that digital video, including short-form formats, can drive multi-year brand-building effects—challenging the long-held belief that Linear TV is the sole driver of long-term growth. The research further indicates that even a single exposure to a video advertisement can result in an estimated 1%–5% increase in brand sales over a three-year period.
Additionally, the study highlights that Connected TV is now capable of delivering brand-building outcomes comparable to Linear TV, signalling a structural shift in audience behaviour. It also underscores the importance of voluntary attention, noting that while skippable formats may initially underperform, they can surpass non-skippable formats when viewers choose to engage.
“While marketers intuitively recognize that brand building captures attention and is critical in creating long-term demand, achieving stakeholder buy-in for it has often fallen short and performance-driven investments have felt like a safer bet, too often taking precedence,” said Will Swayne, Global President, Media, dentsu. “The Brand Reset finally offers marketing leaders a framework to make a quantifiable and tangible case for why and how to invest in building their brand through video in a world where planning for attention is paramount.”
Beyond the research, dentsu has integrated the study’s dataset into its Global Planner tool, enabling marketers to apply attention-based insights directly to media planning decisions. This approach moves beyond traditional distinctions such as linear versus digital or short-form versus long-form, focusing instead on how different environments contribute to brand growth over time.
Marketing effectiveness expert Les Binet, who advised on the study, said, “The Brand Reset has re-legitimized long-term brand building in digital video. It gives planners a coherent way to think about modern video effects and reopens an important industry conversation about long-term value.”
The study arrives at a time when CMOs are balancing pressure to deliver immediate results with the need to demonstrate long-term growth. It also challenges assumptions around attention, noting that while higher attention levels drive stronger brand outcomes, returns begin to diminish after approximately 20 seconds of active viewing.
Concluding on the findings, Will Swayne added, “Ultimately, The Brand Reset, amplifies dentsu’s depth of knowledge in attention and enables our media experts to evaluate their planning choices holistically. It breaks down barriers in historically disjointed planning approaches. Our dataset enables advanced planning on a level playing field with teams able to deploy a common planning currency and a consistent set of business metrics represented by Kantar Brand Power.”
Commenting on the study’s regional relevance, Amit Wadhwa said, “The Brand Reset is an important step forward in how we understand the true value of video today. It brings much-needed clarity to the role of attention, not just as a measure of engagement, but as a driver of long-term brand growth. What’s encouraging is the evidence that modern video environments, across formats and platforms, can deliver both immediate impact and sustained value. For marketers, this opens up a more confident, balanced way to invest, where building brands and driving performance are no longer seen as trade-offs, but as outcomes that can be achieved together.”
