How Emerging Brands Can Strengthen Equity and Scale Performance

Building brand equity and winning the next phase of growth using benchmarks

Emerging brands have cleared a critical hurdle; consumers know you exist. But now comes the harder part: earning trust, carving out a meaningful identity, and turning attention into action.

Defined by aided awareness between 34% and 66%, emerging brands are in a pivotal growth phase where they're no longer anonymous, but not iconic yet. In a competitive middle ground, rising brands must prove they’re not just another option but the option. Here, brand equity and performance must work in lockstep, making every media dollar work harder and measuring what matters at every stage of the funnel.

DISQO’s new emerging brands Whitepaper reveals how to navigate this chapter with data-driven confidence. Based on benchmark data from more than 1,650 campaigns, it offers a rare view into what success really looks like at this critical inflection point, and how to scale smarter, not just louder.

You’ve built awareness, now make it stick

Emerging brands often see stronger brand lift than new entrants, but still fall short of the equity and recall that come with years of consumer exposure. According to DISQO’s normative benchmarks:

• Unaided awareness lifts +0.20 points on average, double that of new brands, but still well below established norms.
• Tagline association rises +0.10 points, signaling some message retention, but highlighting gaps in consistency and recall.
• Purchase intent climbs to +2.11, showing that with the right reinforcement, interest can turn into intent,  and eventually, conversion.

The takeaway? You're on the radar, but not yet top-of-mind. Emerging brands should consistently reinforce their story across every touchpoint to move from recognition to resonance. It's no longer enough to be remembered; you need to be remembered for something.

Performance pressure is rising

At this stage, brand equity alone won’t fuel growth. Consumers are curious but cautious. They’ve seen your name and now they’re deciding whether to trust it. 

DISQO benchmarks show that emerging brands experience:

• Stronger search (+0.16) and site visitation (+0.23) lift than new brands, but still underperform established benchmarks.
• Greater variability in outcomes, meaning not all exposure translates to action, and inefficiencies can quickly erode ROI.
• Increased consumer scrutiny, with audiences seeking values, proof, and cohesion across paid and owned media. 

The good news is that you now have enough brand equity to start influencing preference. The challenge is doing it at scale and with consistent reinforcement.

Strategies for scaling brand equity with confidence

Emerging brands can’t afford wasted impressions or fragmented customer journeys. That’s why this phase demands both strategic focus and executional precision.

Here’s what the whitepaper recommends:

• Embrace full-funnel measurement. Don’t just track clicks. Understand how upper-funnel awareness connects to lower-funnel behavior.
• Leverage high-reach video channels like social and CTV to reinforce your brand identity through consistent, high-frequency storytelling.
• Infuse trust into the mid-funnel. Use testimonials, expert endorsements, and transparent messaging to convert interest into confidence.
• Test sequential messaging strategies that reflect where consumers are in their journey, from first impression to final decision.
• Align creative and media rigorously. Ensure every channel, placement, and asset echoes your core value proposition in tone, visuals, and messaging.

In short: scale what’s working, and smooth what’s not. With benchmarks as your compass and full-funnel insights as your guide, you can avoid the costly trap of trying to grow without direction.

Where do you go from here?

Emerging brands are no longer fighting for visibility; they’re fighting for preference. This is the moment when strategic clarity separates rising stars from stalled contenders.

The whitepaper provides the data, context, and recommendations you need to grow confidently and stay on track for long-term equity.

Download the emerging brands whitepaper to discover how your performance stacks up and how to move from promising to preferred. Want more info on measuring what matters—every channel, one source? Get in touch. Let’s talk. hello@disqo.com