In 2025, Indian brands face a strategic dilemma: Should you invest in ROI-focused (performance) campaigns or go for brand awareness (reach-based) campaigns?
This blog breaks down both approaches using:
- Real business examples
- Budget-based logic
- Funnel strategies
So you can decide what suits your growth goals best.
🧠 Understanding Both Approaches
🔹 ROI-Focused Campaigns
These campaigns are designed to drive measurable results—like leads, sales, or app installs.
You spend ₹1,000 and aim to make ₹3,000 in return. That’s ROI.
Platforms Used: Meta Ads, Google Search, YouTube Skippable Ads, Amazon Ads
Ideal For: D2C, real estate, edtech, local services
🔹 Awareness-Focused Campaigns
These are aimed at reaching more people, increasing recall, and building trust—without expecting immediate sales.
You spend ₹1,000 to reach 1,00,000 people with your message.
Platforms Used: YouTube Bumper Ads, Meta Reach Campaigns, Display Ads, OTT Ads
Ideal For: FMCG, retail chains, new brand launches, CSR initiatives
📊 Comparison Table
| Metric | ROI Campaigns | Awareness Campaigns |
| Goal | Sales, Leads, Installs | Views, Reach, Recall |
| Measurability | High (Conversion Pixel) | Low (View Through Rate) |
| Funnel Stage | Bottom & Middle | Top of Funnel |
| Creative Style | Direct, offer-driven | Storytelling, visual appeal |
| Budget Requirement | Moderate to High | Low to High |
| Risk Level | Low (trackable returns) | High (delayed impact) |
🧩 Which One Is Right for You?
🔸 Choose ROI-Focused If:
- You’re a small brand with limited budget
- You need fast growth
- You have a product with demand and good margin
- You want to prove traction to investors
🔸 Choose Awareness-Focused If:
- You’re entering a new market
- You’re building long-term recall
- You have multiple SKUs or brand lines
- You’re preparing for funding, retail expansion, or IPO
🧠 Smart Strategy? Combine Both
The smartest brands don’t pick one—they blend both.
Example Strategy:
- Awareness: Run Meta video view + YouTube ads for 7–10 days
- ROI: Retarget those viewers via conversion and catalog ads
This builds trust first and converts warm audiences later—at a lower CPL.
🔁 Real-Life Example: Indian D2C Brand
- Week 1–2: ₹30K on Meta + YouTube awareness ads (reached 1.2M people)
- Week 3–4: ₹50K on Google Search + Meta Catalog Retargeting (generated 2.5X ROAS)
Result:
Total campaign ROAS = 3.1X by nurturing through the funnel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it okay to only run ROI-focused ads?
Does awareness mean branding only?
How much budget should I allocate to each?
Which platforms are best for awareness?
Can I measure awareness success?
📞 Final Advice: Balance is the New ROI
In 2025, Indian audiences are more informed, skeptical, and harder to convert.
To truly win trust and drive revenue, your campaigns must:
✅ Make them aware
✅ Make them care
✅ Make them buy
At Brand Chanakya, we craft full-funnel strategies that blend brand awareness with ROI-driven results.
👉 Ready to balance impact and income? Let’s build smarter campaigns together.
Follow us on Instagram:- @brand_chanakya