Challenge
In Q4 2025, the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) sought to boost brand awareness and engagement among C-Suite executives, HR buyers, and Line Managers. CCL tasked BrandVerge with revamping their upper-funnel awareness tactics to increase visibility, drive site engagement, and attract leads during a key end-of-year period. The challenge was to optimize channels efficiently while tailoring messaging for diverse personas, particularly in underperforming regions.
Solution
BrandVerge crafted a multi-channel strategy blending programmatic display, native retargeting, LinkedIn ads, and a Harvard Business Review podcast partnerships. The approach leveraged data-driven tactics for reach and high-impact sponsorships for credibility. LinkedIn was prioritized for its B2B audience, and HBR podcasts for their executive listenership. Persona-specific creative included statistics-driven messaging for C-Suite and Line Managers, and brand-focused messaging for HR buyers. Tactics featured LinkedIn posts, programmatic ads optimized for multiple regions, and HBR sponsorships, with copy including “For All Things Humanly Possible” emphasizing transformation.
Results
BrandVerge’s strategy drove significant gains in brand awareness and engagement in the client’s Q4 of their FY. LinkedIn campaigns outperformed CTR benchmarks by +300%, while programmatic exceeded benchmarks by +500%. HBR podcast partnerships over delivered on impression goals by +5.85%, contributing to a +9% increase in engaged sessions and a +3.58% rise in new users compared to the prior six-month average. Regionally, APAC excelled with click efficiency far surpassing the US, where performance lagged. The Middle East demonstrated consistent engagement across personas, with HR achieving the highest CTR and conversion rates. In the US, C-Suite campaigns outperformed HR and Line Managers in conversion rates. Marketing funnel performance surged, with marketing qualified leads increasing +90% year-over-year, sales accepted leads skyrocketing +3,792% year-over-year, and sales qualified leads growing +23% quarter-over-quarter, primarily driven by LinkedIn and programmatic.
Creative performance highlighted the impact of tailored messaging. The “For All Things Humanly Possible” ad, paired with detailed intro copy, ranked among the top performers for engagement and cost efficiency. HBR’s leadership-focused podcast slots, particularly “HBR On Leadership,” over delivered impressions by +8.88%. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of aligning upper-funnel awareness tactics with strategic partnerships and persona-specific creative, significantly enhancing CCL’s brand presence and engagement during a competitive quarter.