Summary

Growth brings complexity—across channels, campaigns and teams. What was clear starts to knot into mismatched metrics and ad hoc touchpoints. The answer is to define signature proof moments as the decision lens. When teams share the same picture, touchpoints turn into advocacy and pricing confidence follows.

→ Watch more videos in this playlist on YouTube

Our Perspective

What this means for leaders navigating growth, change or transformation in their organisation.

The Missed Lever

Many leadership teams still treat advocacy as a by-product of reach, not design. The result is a familiar loop: broad activity generates passing mentions, yet there’s no story customers can carry forward. The overlooked lever sits inside the experience itself—how a few decisive moments make people feel seen, respected, and confident they chose well.

An SDL/CMO Council study notes that 83% of consumers post about brands on social networks after a positive moment, underscoring that advocacy is sparked by experience, not exposure.

Design Proof Moments

Advocacy grows when customers encounter proof-rich moments that make value tangible. Think of them as “signature moments” you can point to and say: this is where our promise becomes real. Crucially, they should be designed, resourced, and rehearsed—not left to chance.

• Onboarding that removes uncertainty in the first 24–48 hours.
• Handovers between teams that feel coordinated and personal.
• Resolution moments that transform issues into trust-building wins.
• Milestone acknowledgements that recognise progress or loyalty.

In our experience with leadership teams, the biggest unlock is shifting from channel-first planning to “moment design,” then aligning product, operations, and brand around those few decisive interactions.

Make It Systemic

Signature moments only perform when they’re operationally dependable. That means putting cross-functional ownership behind them, building playbooks, and funding the little details that make them repeatable at scale. It’s less campaign spend, more service choreography.

• Treat each signature moment like a product: map it, prototype it, test it.
• Resource the backstage: data handoffs, timing, tone, and training.
• Encode them into rituals—so they survive personnel changes and pressure.

When you do, three outcomes typically follow: higher conversion because belief builds earlier; steadier referrals because people retell specific, vivid moments; and greater pricing confidence because the experience earns it.

Measures That Matter

If you can’t tell whether a moment is working, it won’t last. Move beyond generic reach metrics to signals that reflect compounding advocacy.

• Track the share of mentions tied to designed moments, not just volume.
• Monitor narrative consistency: are customers repeating the same proof points?
• Measure time-to-referral, repeat purchase, and tolerance for premium.

The strategic point is simple: organisations that consistently turn touchpoints into advocacy don’t shout louder—they design clearer proof. Over time, that becomes a moat that steadies demand and strengthens negotiation power when markets tighten.

Sources:

Further Resources

1. Budget Split for Growth: Why 60% Goes to Brand Building
2. Building Brand Trust: Aligning Product Extensions for Growth
3. Building Brand Memory with Consistent Messaging

Every organisation hits brand questions it can’t solve alone — if you’d like an outside perspective, we’re here. Let’s talk.

Back to top