In today’s fast-paced digital world, marketing isn’t just about being seen, it’s about being understood. For scaling businesses, that means building strategies that are focused, flexible, and deeply rooted in what your customers actually care about.

That’s exactly what we explored at our recent breakfast panel, hosted in partnership with Launch Lab. The session, Mastering Marketing for Scaling Businesses: Strategies for Sustainable Growth, brought together founders, creatives, and marketing leaders for a candid conversation on what it really takes to scale your marketing alongside your business.

Here’s what we learned.

Find focus as you grow

In the early days of a startup, marketing often runs on instinct and momentum. But as your business scales, so does the need for structure. Tash Grossman, CEO & Co-founder of SLIP, captured this shift perfectly.

“At the beginning, marketing was very reactive, just get something out there,” she said. “But as we’ve grown, we’ve had to become a lot more strategic. It’s not just about doing more, it’s about doing the right things that move the needle.”

That evolution, from activity to intentionality, is a pattern many growing businesses face. Scaling isn’t about doing everything; it’s about doing what matters.

Consistency is your competitive edge

Marketing trends come and go, but your brand story should remain steady. Chloë Clover, co-founder of creative agency Wander, emphasised the importance of holding your ground amidst the constant churn of new platforms and formats.

“There’s always a new platform, a new trend,” she said. “But for us, the most important thing is that the brand feels the same across everything. You can’t just jump on every trend, it has to align with what you stand for.”

For businesses navigating growth, that means staying anchored in your values, while staying agile in how you express them.

Align your team with the business vision

Scaling a marketing strategy isn’t just about budgets and channels—it’s about people. According to Hugo Sousa, Senior Director of Marketing at OakNorth, the best marketing teams are built on clarity and connection.

“A scalable marketing team needs alignment,” he shared. “Everyone should be clear on the business goals and how their work ties back to them. Without that, you end up with disconnected efforts.”

The takeaway? High-impact marketing isn’t created in silos. It’s a team sport, and every player needs to know the goal.

Balance brand and performance

Performance marketing delivers quick wins. Brand marketing builds long-term trust. For scaling businesses, the real challenge is balancing both.

“When we started, we were entirely focused on performance: driving traffic, signups, conversions,” said Tash. “But we realised we were missing that longer-term brand equity piece. Now we try to balance both.”

The panel agreed that while it’s tempting to prioritise short-term metrics, meaningful growth comes from investing in the bigger picture.

Don’t just create content – tell a story

As marketing becomes more content-heavy, it’s easy to fall into the trap of output over impact. But Chloë reminded us that real connection comes through narrative.

“Storytelling is about creating a feeling,” she said. “If you just push out content for the sake of it, people switch off. The stories that land are the ones that actually mean something to your audience.”

That emotional resonance, rooted in purpose, not platforms, is what keeps customers engaged as your business scales.

Use tech to enhance, not replace

Data and AI are transforming how marketers work, but that doesn’t mean they replace human judgment. As Hugo pointed out, these tools are only as useful as the questions you ask.

“AI can be a great tool, but only if you’re asking the right questions,” he said. “Data helps you understand what’s working, but it doesn’t replace intuition or creativity.”

For scaling businesses, the priority is to use tech to support strategic thinking, not shortcut it.

What’s the one thing?

To wrap up the conversation, Gabbie Watkiss, OakNorth’s Product Director and panel moderator, asked each speaker for one piece of advice they’d share with other business leaders navigating growth.

  • Tash: “Don’t forget to talk to your customers, really talk to them. It’s easy to get caught up in metrics and dashboards, but that real feedback is gold.”
  • Chloë: “Stay bold. As you grow, there’s pressure to play it safe, but the best work comes when you stick to your vision.”
  • Hugo: “Make sure your team understands the ‘why’ behind the marketing. It’s not just about activity, it’s about impact.”
Final thoughts

Scaling a business brings complexity, but when it comes to marketing, clarity cuts through. A consistent brand story, a connected team, and a clear sense of purpose can help businesses grow without losing what makes them distinct.

And as our panel reminded us, the most effective marketing isn’t the loudest, it’s the most meaningful.