Gartner Marketing Survey Finds 84% of Companies Are Stuck in a “Brand Doom Loop”

Eighty-four percent of companies are stuck in a “brand doom loop” that prevents marketing leaders from proving brand’s impact on enterprise growth, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc., a business and technology insights company.

A Gartner survey of 426 senior marketing leaders conducted from September through October 2025 found that the brand doom loop occurs when companies underinvest in brand measurement, lack confidence in the results and consequently attract even less funding.

Gartner analysts presented the findings during Gartner Marketing Symposium/Xpo, which took place here this week.

“Brand has long been treated as a communications asset, but it is actually a growth engine,” said Julie Reeves, VP Analyst in the Gartner Marketing practice. “The challenge is that most organizations lack the measurement discipline and executive narrative needed to connect brand health to business performance. This creates a cycle where brand is undermeasured, underfunded and undervalued.”

Gartner predicts that by 2028, over 80% of companies will make significant changes to their company’s identity, such as mission, brand and culture, to keep pace with the impact of AI on markets. As AI accelerates commoditization and fuels disinformation, brand is one of the few remaining levers companies can use to claim a distinctive and trustworthy position in their markets.

“In an AI-driven market, brand clarity becomes even more critical,” said Reeves. “CMOs have an opportunity to help their organizations define what makes them distinctive, trusted and relevant as customer expectations and competitive dynamics shift.”

Brand Strategy Remains an Underused Growth Lever

Brand strategy has a measurable impact beyond marketing. Companies with a strong brand strategy are 2x more likely to exceed their growth goals, underscoring brand’s role as a driver of enterprise performance.

C-suite executives appear open to elevating brand’s strategic role: More than 50% want their CMO to clarify the relationship between brand and business strategy, and 43% want a clear, simple story about brand health and business performance.

“CMOs need to move beyond tracking brand metrics in isolation,” said Reeves. “They must show how brand influences enterprise priorities, such as revenue, profit, customer experience, innovation and market expansion. When brand measurement becomes a dashboard for growth decisions, CMOs are better positioned to earn executive confidence and investment.”

CMOs looking to escape the brand doom loop should establish regular brand health measurement, connect brand metrics to business outcomes and build a clear executive story that explains how brand contributes to growth.