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Is Brand the Untapped Growth Factor for Australian Business in 2026?

Tiny Hunter

A survey of 164 Australian CEOs and business leaders finds brand belief is high but investment and execution is falling short

Report Highlights:

• 81% believe branding is a key driver of competitive advantage
• 76% agree branding is a critical business asset
• 55% say their brand is consistent across all touch points
• 40% are unsure or do not believe their brand communicates a clear point of difference
• 36% revisit their branding only during key milestones; 27% manage on an ad hoc basis or for marketing and sales campaigns
• Investment decisions are largely based on available capacity
• Only 16% intend to invest in their brand over the next three years
• 11% don’t invest in branding at all

Australia, 12 November 2025:  A new national survey of 164 Australian CEOs and business leaders from 12 industry sectors reveals a significant gap between what Australian businesses say about the importance of branding and how they manage it in practice, according to the State of Business Branding 2026 report released today by brand consultancy Tiny Hunter.

While 81% of organisations believe branding drives competitive advantage, only 16% plan to increase brand investment over the next three years. Fewer than one in three (29%) conduct regular, structured reviews of their brand, and most only revisit it during milestones (36%) or manage it on an ad hoc basis or just for sales and marketing campaigns (27%).

Current investment decisions are made based on the availability of people, time, and budget (28%), on a case-by-case basis (24%), or by the leadership team (22%).  Among small businesses (under $3M in revenue), the gap in theory versus practice is more stark -  despite almost universal agreement (97%) from small business owners and leaders that branding is important for business success, only 18% have a comprehensive brand strategy.

“Most Australian CEOs say they believe in brand, but belief isn’t enough. The data shows businesses aren’t managing it with the same discipline they apply to finance or operations, although they recognise its importance as a critical business asset,” said Jodie de Vries, founder of Tiny Hunter and author of the report. “Brand is still too often treated as a marketing activity or a one-off project rather than a system that drives commercial performance, culture, and long-term value.

“In a low-growth economy, branding can be a significant factor in customer and employee attraction and retention, pricing power and gaining or keeping market share,” she continued. “Why would you have such a core business asset but not ensure it maximises returns for you?”

Brand Clarity

While 69% of businesses say their brand identity is strong and understood across their company, only 60% agree it clearly presents a point of difference, and only 55% believe it is consistent across all touchpoints. 

Rise of AI in Branding

AI has started to reshape marketing workflows, with 16% of leaders currently using it to support branding, and a further 55% are open to it in the future. Only 13% reject it outright, believing it cannot replace human experts for effective brand building, and 17% don't know how to use AI for branding support. 

Talent, Culture and Brand

Despite widespread recognition that brand influences recruitment and retention, only 29% of businesses formally integrate brand into their Employer Value Proposition (EVP), while half (51%) acknowledge the connection but admit it is not officially measured. Even though most leaders (82%) agree that customer experience is directly influenced by employee experience, only one in three (32%) businesses invest in employee experience as a key strategic focus. Another 42% invest somewhat but not consistently, while 26% don’t invest.

Delivering ROI

Of those that track ROI on their branding investments, the impact is wide-ranging, with increased brand awareness (34%), greater customer loyalty and advocacy (32%), higher customer acquisition and retention (29%), improved employee attraction and retention (23%), and stronger pricing power (18%) among the top five recorded results where respondents could choose more than one measurement to record.

“Belief in brands has never been higher, but belief alone doesn’t build value. Structure does. The next step for Australian businesses to get ahead in 2026 is to embed brand thinking into the systems that drive their business and take the same disciplined approach that they do to the other parts of their business model,” explained Jodie.

The State of Business Branding 2026 report looks closely at how Australian brands are managed, valued, and experienced as they approach 2026 and offers practical advice and standards for Australian leaders who want to improve their brand development.

The report captures insights from 164 Australian business leaders representing industries including finance, FMCG, government, health and wellbeing, manufacturing, mining, non-profits, professional services, retail, social enterprise, technology, and wholesale. The businesses surveyed range from under $3 million to over $30 million in revenue, operating across local, regional, and global markets.

Download the full State of Business Branding 2026 at https://tinyhunter.com.au/the-state-of-business-branding-2026/

About us:

Tiny Hunter is a strategic branding agency that believes brands should live at the very heart of every business. For more than 20 years, the agency has been aligning brands, cultures, and experience to create transformation from the inside out, with companies such as NSW Health, Beerenberg, Sydney Airport, Westfield, AMP, Diageo, Peugeot, and numerous Australian family businesses. https://tinyhunter.com.au/

Contact details:

Louise Nealon, PR With Purpose,

[email protected]

0402 569 177