Brand Spotlight: Time for a Midterm Review.

In late 2025, McKinsey described a remarkable trend in its study “State of Marketing Europe 2026”: European marketing executives cited branding as their top priority for 2026, ahead of issues such as marketing ROI, budget management, and generative AI. The study is based on surveys of more than 500 marketing executives in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain. (Source: McKinsey)

Fall is a good time to check whether this prioritization has actually taken hold in your company’s day-to-day operations. It’s worth asking yourself a few questions:

• Has the brand received the priority it deserves this year?
• Was the brand further developed, its positioning refined, or its communication made more consistent?
• Was work done on core brand messages, the visual identity, or the strategic direction?

Operational issues often get in the way. Between day-to-day business and project pressures, there’s often less time for strategic brand work than planned. Branding is important, but rarely so urgent that it automatically takes top priority on the agenda.

However, it is precisely in complex markets that the value of a clear and relevant brand becomes apparent. When offerings seem more similar and communication appears increasingly automated, a strong brand provides direction and builds trust. It makes it clear what a company stands for and why customers should choose it.

To take stock of the situation so far, it’s worth asking these key questions:

• Where does the brand stand right now?
• Is it clear what the company stands for and what makes it unique, both internally and externally?
• Is the communication reaching the right target audiences?
• Is the brand message consistent?
• Which issues have been put off for quite some time?
• What steps should be taken in the final quarter to ensure that the new year doesn't begin with the same unresolved issues?

The year isn’t over yet. There’s still time to lay the groundwork, prepare for decisions, and define the first concrete steps for the coming year. Anyone who wants to consciously focus on their own brand in the remaining months can start by taking stock: Where does the brand stand, and what matters most right now?