Podcast Summary: The Brand Metrics That Matter with Kantar's Mary Kyriakidi

Episode: The Brand Metrics That Matter with Kantar's Mary Kyriakidi
Release Date: August 5, 2025
Podcast: The Marketing Architects
Host/Authors: Alena Jasper, Angela Voss, Rob DeMars
Guest: Mary Kyriakidi, Global Thought Leader at Kantar

Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Marketing Architects, hosts Alena Jasper, Angela Voss, and Rob DeMars welcome back Mary Kyriakidi, a renowned media executive and global thought leader at Kantar. Mary brings her extensive experience in shaping evidence-based narratives that drive the growth of the world's leading brands. The discussion delves deep into Kantar's influential frameworks and reports that connect brand metrics to financial performance, offering actionable insights for marketers aiming to build sustainable revenue.

Kantar's Diary of a CMO Report

Alena kicks off the conversation by highlighting Kantar's Diary of a CMO report, which addresses a critical question: "If brand is one of your company's most valuable assets, why are so few marketers measuring it in ways that connect to financial performance?" Mary explains that the report synthesizes thousands of data points into seven key lessons, emphasizing the importance of aligning marketing strategies with business outcomes.

Notable Quote:
Mary Kyriakidi [03:45]: "Brands grow not just by being seen, but by being chosen, and often then chosen again."

Meaningful, Different, and Salient (MDS) Framework

A central theme of the discussion is Kantar's Meaningful, Different, and Salient (MDS) framework. Mary elaborates on how these three dimensions are foundational to building brand equity and driving growth.

• Meaningful: Meeting both functional and emotional needs of consumers.
• Different: Standing out relative to competitors by offering unique value.
• Salient: Ensuring the brand comes to mind during crucial purchase moments.

Mary highlights that brands excelling in these areas are five times more likely to grow their customer base and achieve sustained success.

Notable Quote:
Mary Kyriakidi [09:12]: "The three layers of meaningful, different, and salience explain what happens in the minds of people when functional benefits and emotional attachment overlap."

Connecting Brand Metrics to Financial Performance

Mary emphasizes the significant impact of brand perception on a company's financial value. Using Kantar's data, she reveals that on average, brand equity accounts for over 30% of a company’s value, with exceptional brands like Coca-Cola reaching up to 90%.

Notable Quote:
Mary Kyriakidi [06:27]: "On average, brand equity accounts for over 30% of a company's value. That's too valuable to leave it unmeasured."

She advocates for treating brand metrics as predictive indicators that can guide investment decisions and forecast business outcomes, thereby integrating brand health directly into financial planning.

Building Pricing Power through Brand Equity

A significant portion of the discussion centers on pricing power—the ability to set and maintain prices without losing customers. Mary explains that pricing power is primarily driven by being meaningful and different, which enhances consumer loyalty and willingness to pay premium prices.

Notable Quote:
Mary Kyriakidi [16:17]: "Pricing power is the ability to correct your price and lose less customers. The stronger the moat, the more freedom we have to grow profitability."

She provides examples of brands like McCain and Magnum that successfully built pricing power by steadfastly investing in brand-building activities instead of resorting to short-term promotions.

Balanced Marketing Approach vs. Over-Reliance on Promotions

Mary warns against the common marketing pitfall of overusing promotions to spur growth. She describes promotions as a "sugar rush" that can temporarily spike sales but ultimately erode brand equity and margins.

Notable Quote:
Mary Kyriakidi [13:30]: "Promotions are like a sugar rush. They spike volume and crush the margins, training consumers to expect discounts and chip away at brand equity."

She advises marketers to focus on enhancing the three dimensions of the MDS framework to build sustainable growth and pricing power, rather than defaulting to discounts.

Gaining Credibility in the Boardroom

Addressing the challenge CMOs face in advocating for brand investment, Mary suggests using validated metrics that link directly to business outcomes. By presenting clear, data-driven cases showing how brand investments drive metrics like penetration, margin, and future growth, CMOs can build trust and credibility with CEOs, CFOs, and boards.

Notable Quote:
Mary Kyriakidi [20:16]: "Marketers who succeed go beyond typical advertising metrics. They use validated metrics like future power, demand power, and pricing power that directly link to commercial outcomes."

Effective Creative and Common Brand Tracking Missteps

Mary outlines the characteristics of effective creative—capturing attention, driving emotional engagement, and creating a memorable brand link. She also highlights common errors in brand tracking, such as focusing on vanity metrics, viewing brand data in isolation, and defining competitive sets too narrowly.

Notable Quote:
Mary Kyriakidi [23:00]: "Choose brand metrics that reflect business performance. Avoid metrics like instant awareness or social buzz that don’t link to sales or market share."

Personal Insights and Contrarian Opinions

Towards the end of the episode, Mary shares personal anecdotes, revealing misconceptions about her personality and emphasizing the importance of authenticity. She also presents a contrarian view by asserting the critical role of pricing power in brand health, despite differing opinions in the marketing community.

Notable Quote:
Mary Kyriakidi [24:34]: "Pricing power deeply matters, not just as a financial lever, but as a strategic signal of brand health."

Conclusion

The episode concludes with a reflective discussion on personal perceptions and the importance of maintaining authenticity in professional roles. Mary encourages marketers to engage in constructive conversations, leveraging data-driven insights to foster growth and brand strength.

Final Quote:
Mary Kyriakidi [28:46]: "There’s a lot more for all of us to learn if we put forward our ideas as something that our data has led us to believe without attacking anyone."

Key Takeaways

1. MDS Framework: Integrate meaningfulness, difference, and salience into brand strategies to drive sustainable growth and pricing power.
2. Financial Linkage: Treat brand equity as a significant financial asset, directly linking brand metrics to business outcomes.
3. Avoid Over-Promotions: Focus on long-term brand building rather than short-term sales boosts through discounts.
4. Boardroom Credibility: Use validated, outcome-driven metrics to advocate for brand investments effectively.
5. Effective Creative: Develop creative campaigns that capture attention, engage emotionally, and create strong brand associations.
6. Common Pitfalls: Avoid vanity metrics, isolated brand data analysis, and narrowly defined competitive landscapes in brand tracking.

This comprehensive discussion with Mary Kyriakidi offers invaluable insights for marketers striving to align brand strategies with financial performance, ensuring robust and sustainable business growth.