How to Vet Brand Builders vs. Performance Marketers in CPG

Time to read: 5 mins

Summary:

• Brand Builders vs. Performance Marketers: Brand builders focus on long-term loyalty and awareness, while performance marketers drive fast, data-driven growth.
• When to Hire Which: Early-stage brands prioritize performance marketers for quick ROI; established brands lean on brand builders to build lasting equity.
• Balanced Approach Wins: Combining both brand and performance expertise leads to stronger, more sustainable CPG growth.

Hiring the right marketing leaders can truly shape the trajectory of a consumer brand’s success. However, hiring the wrong one can stall growth and delay progress, ultimately leading to costly spend with no real results.

In today’s market, it is advantageous to blend broader, brand storytelling with data-driven strategies to really fuel growth. It is not about choosing between your brand’s longstanding image over immediate performance goals. The key is to identify what your business needs most now and determine what marketing leaders can evolve with you as you scale.

So, what’s the real difference between brand builders and performance marketers in the CPG space? And how can you confidently assess which profile is the right move as your next marketing hire?

Let’s break it down.

Brand Builders vs. Performance Marketers: What’s the Difference?

Brand Builders

What they prioritize: Awareness, loyalty, market perception, creative excellence.

Typically, Brand Builders are marketers that build emotional resonance. They craft compelling narratives, focus on visual identity, tone, and long-term positioning of the brand. Brand Builde are often the ones behind award-winning campaigns, innovative packaging refreshes, or consumer-first brand platforms.

They are less focused on daily dashboards and metrics and more focused on lasting perception. For these types of marketers, you can expect backgrounds in traditional brand management or creative strategy, often from global brands or agency worlds. They really get the voice and feeling a brand is trying to convey and try their best to uphold that reputation over time across both retail and Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) channels.

Performance Marketers

What they prioritize: Acquisition, conversion, retention, analytics, and ROI.

On the other hand, Performance Marketers are tacticians with a growth mindset. They specialize in conversion optimization, paid acquisition, CRM strategies, and full-funnel efficiency.

These marketers are driven most by data: Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), Cost Per Acquisition (CPA), Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Customer Lifetime Value (LTV), among other key and relevant metrics. They move quickly, test often, and act based on results. Many come from DTC, startup, or Ecommerce environments where scale and spend efficiency are paramount.

Which Should You Hire and When?

The answer depends on your growth stage and where your biggest gaps lie. The best mix of brand vs. performance talent depends on business stage and strategy. In fast-moving DTC startups, the first marketing hires are often growth or product marketers who can spin up digital campaigns and iterate on the fly.

You might need a Performance Marketer if:

Early-stage or high-growth brands often prioritize performance marketing to acquire customers quickly and prove ROI.

• You are in early growth mode and need to prove product-market fit.
• Your brand is online-first and needs measurable results, fast.
• You are optimizing ad spend or customer acquisition across digital channels.
• You are trying to crack ROAS or scale spend efficiently.

That said, brand-building is critical at every stage. Modern marketing experts argue that strong brand foundations actually accelerate growth in the long run.

You might need a Brand Builder if:

• You are entering new markets or retail channels and need cohesive positioning.
• Your product is great, but awareness is low, or consumer loyalty is weak.
• You are undergoing a rebrand, repositioning, or want to elevate perceived value.
• You want to create brand affinity that lives beyond the algorithm and drives recall in-store.

Brands that invest in both brand and performance marketing see more sustainable long-term growth compared to those relying on one alone. A balanced approach matters.

How to Assess Brand Builders vs. Performance Marketers

Given their different roles in supporting a CPG brand’s strategy, properly assessing each is a process. Below is a guide on how to assess each skill set.

Vetting Brand Builder Candidates

Look for evidence of long-term brand impact. Ask candidates to describe brand campaigns they led end-to-end. What was the strategy and story? How did they measure success (e.g. lift in brand awareness, social engagement, market share, or even how pricing power changed)? Evaluate creativity and storytelling by reviewing portfolios or case studies.

Potential Questions to Ask:

• Tell me about a time you repositioned a product. How did you align creative, messaging, and internal teams and how did you measure success?
• How have you evolved a brand’s identity over time while keeping it consistent across channels?
• Describe a time when brand perception did not align with business goals. What did you do to shift that narrative?
• What research methods or insights do you typically use to inform brand positioning or storytelling?
• How do you measure the success of brand work beyond vanity metrics?

Vetting Performance Marketing Candidates:

Focus on metrics, tactics, and data fluency. Strong candidates often discuss A/B tests they ran, attribution models they built, or how they scaled a budget while maintaining efficiency. Verify technical skills and familiarity with analytics tools (Google Analytics, BI dashboards), ad platforms, SEO tools, and any CRM and automation systems.

Potential Questions to Ask:

• Walk me through your last acquisition campaign. What strategy did you use and how did you decide when to scale or pivot?
• What KPIs do you prioritize at different stages of the funnel, and why?
• Tell me about a test that failed. What did you learn and how did you apply it?
• What is your approach to budget allocation across paid channels when entering a new market or launching a product?
• How do you collaborate with brand or creative teams to improve performance outcomes?

In Conclusion

In CPG marketing, there is no one-size-fits-all hire. Your brand’s history, budget, and growth goals determine whether you need a visionary brand builder, a hungry performance marketer, or, most commonly, a seamless combination of both.

Don’t leave this to chance. Define your role precisely, interview for the right skills and instincts, and consider partnering with specialists who understand the nuances of CPG talent. Ready to hire the perfect CPG marketing leader? Contact our team of executive recruiters to discuss your needs and start vetting top brand and performance marketing candidates today. We can help you benchmark roles, screen candidates rigorously, and secure the executive who will accelerate your brand’s growth.