Brand campaigns are one of the most commonly debated topics in PPC strategy. Many businesses question whether they are necessary—especially when they already rank well organically.

In this guide, we explain what brand campaigns are, how they differ from other campaigns, and when they are (and are not) worth running.

Quick Answer: Should You Run Brand Campaigns?

• ✅ Yes, if competitors are bidding on your brand
• ✅ Yes, if you rely on automated bidding
• ⚠️ Maybe not, if there is no competition and journeys are short
• 📊 Always test before making a final decision

What Is a Brand Campaign?

A brand campaign is a Google Ads or Microsoft Ads search campaign targeting keywords that include your brand name.

For example, if your company is called “Wooden Tables”, your campaign might target:

• [wooden tables]
• “wooden tables”

These ads show when users search for queries containing your brand.

Does Broad Match Count?

It depends on the traffic.

If broad match starts triggering non-brand searches, we would not classify that as a true brand campaign, because user intent is different.

Brand vs Non-Brand Campaigns

• Non-brand = early research stage
• Brand = high-intent, decision stage

As a result:

• Brand campaigns usually have higher conversion rates
• CTR is often 2–5x higher than non-brand
• CPA is typically lower

👉 Non-brand creates demand
👉 Brand captures it

Do You Really Need a Brand Campaign?

Competitors Can Bid on Your Brand

Paid ads appear above organic listings. If competitors bid on your brand and you don’t, their ads may appear above your website.

Some users will ignore this—but others will explore alternatives.

In our experience, competitor brand campaigns do generate conversions, even if performance is weaker. That means there is a real risk of losing high-intent users.

Users Don’t Always Choose the “Right” Result

Even branded users may:

• Compare options
• Explore competitors
• Be influenced by messaging

This makes brand protection important in many markets.

Brand Campaigns Support Algorithm Learning

Brand campaigns often act as the final touchpoint before conversion, providing valuable data for automated bidding.

How this impacts algorithm learning

Automated strategies rely on conversion data to identify high-value users.

If brand campaigns are not running:

• Some conversions may not be captured properly
• Learning can slow down
• Audience targeting may become less accurate

This is especially relevant for:

• Last-click attribution (data loss is highest)
• Data-driven attribution (partial loss possible)

When Brand Campaigns Might Not Be Necessary

Brand campaigns may be less useful if:

• No competitors are bidding on your brand
• Customer journeys are very short
• Users reliably find you organically

These cases should be validated through testing rather than assumed.

Should You Report Brand Separately?

In our experience, if a user converts after interacting with PPC, PPC should receive credit.

Attribution explained

With data-driven attribution, conversions are split across touchpoints.

Example:

• User clicks non-brand campaign
• Returns via brand campaign and converts

Both campaigns receive partial credit, reflecting their contribution.

E-commerce considerations

E-commerce journeys are often complex:

• Multiple products viewed
• Different margins
• Multiple touchpoints

Because of this, many businesses:

• Optimise towards overall profitability
• Use non-brand campaigns as a performance check

How to Set Up a Brand Campaign

• Create a search campaign
• Add brand keywords
• Build ads
• Set targeting

To separate traffic:

• Add brand terms as negative keywords in non-brand campaigns

Which Bidding Strategy Should You Use?

The right approach depends on your goals.

If you’re unsure, see our guide on “what is the best PPC strategy”, where we explain how different bidding strategies work and when to use them.

Target Impression Share

When to use this strategy

Best for:

• Brand protection
• Competitive markets

Focuses on visibility, not conversion likelihood.

Maximise Conversion Value (tROAS)

When to use this strategy

Best for:

• Profit-focused strategies
• Accounts with strong data

Maximise Conversions (tCPA)

When to use this strategy

Best for:

• Lead generation
• Scaling volume

CPC and Competition

Brand CPCs vary:

• Low when competition is minimal
• High when competitors are aggressive

Strategy should reflect this.

Final Thoughts

Brand campaigns are not always essential—but in many cases, they play a key role in:

• Protecting demand
• Capturing high-intent users
• Supporting algorithm learning

The right decision depends on your market and strategy.

Not Sure If a Brand Campaign Is Right for You?

A PPC audit can help determine:

• Whether competitors are affecting your brand traffic
• Whether your campaign is adding value
• Whether your bidding strategy is appropriate

Request a PPC audit to get a clear view of your account performance.