MUMBAI: Speed met substance on day two of Goafest 2025 as Warc unveiled findings from the 'Pace Principles' report—a pioneering marketing effectiveness study rooted in Asian data. Amid the sun, strategy, and scribbles at Taj Cidade de Goa, two marketing heavyweights cut through the jargon to drive home a single truth: performance and branding aren't rivals, they’re running mates.

Sujeet Kulkarni - Global Advisory Consultant, Lions Advisory opened the session by underscoring that Warc's insights are backed by the creative might of the Lions ecosystem. He dismissed the longstanding divide between brand-building and performance marketing. "Measuring brand and performance separately is a false premise", he said. Instead, he urged marketers to view it through the lens of 'brand-time-performance', emphasising the role of time in cementing long-term success.

According to Kulkarni, the sweet spot lies in marketing across six-and-a-half channels—a curious yet data-driven benchmark for campaign momentum. He stressed that marketers must "use time as an ally" to stay committed to sustained brand narratives.

Warc India editor Biprorshee Das brought regional nuance into focus. He argued that speed has been wrongly cast as the enemy of brand investment. Citing Asian campaigns, he showed that a 50:50 split between conversion-focused and brand-building strategies yields the highest effectiveness. Das cautioned against treating long-term branding as a siloed initiative. Instead, he championed the "multiply effect"—a marketing phenomenon where cross-channel, time-sensitive integration drives better returns.

The session didn’t shy away from bigger truths either. “Culture is not just about geography—it’s about the values we share”, Kulkarni concluded, suggesting that culturally relevant brands don’t just survive—they scale.

The findings mark a turning point for marketers in Asia, urging a rethink on how success is measured—not just by short-term spikes, but by long-haul gains. With campaign tracking recommended beyond active periods, the call for better measurement frameworks grew louder through the day.