# Brandweek 2026: Brand and Performance Unite

> Nick Fairbairn argues brand lift and performance metrics must share the same system for effective marketing.
- Title: Brandweek 2026: Brand and Performance Unite · Adweek
- Summary: Nick Fairbairn argues brand lift and performance metrics must share the same system for effective marketing. Nick Fairbairn of Chime says brand lift and…
- Keywords: brandweek 2026, nick fairbairn, chime, brand lift, performance metrics, marketing strategy, Brandweek, 2026, Brand, Performance, Unite, Adweek
- Source: Adweek — https://adweek.com/brand-marketing/brandweek-2026-why-brand-and-performance-should-stop-fighting-ft-nick-fairbairn-of-chime
- Author: Jenny Rooney
- Published: 2026-10-07T15:13:35+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: brandweek 2026, nick fairbairn, chime, brand lift, performance metrics, marketing strategy
## Brand or Performance?
Nick Fairbairn says marketers should stop asking whether brand lift and direct-response accountability belong in the same system.

> Brand or performance? That’s the wrong question for marketers to ask, according to Nick Fairbairn.
## AI Adoption Needs Leadership
Buying an AI tool without active leadership rarely changes how a marketing organization actually works.

> Nick is candid about getting AI wrong. He says he has made the mistake of buying tools out of the box and assuming they would work, only to discover that software alone changes very little.
## TV as Performance Channel
Nick treats television with performance-style accountability by tracking traffic spikes and enrollment.

> Nick has treated television with performance-style accountability for years. That means looking at traffic spikes, enrollment and real-time signals rather than stopping at awareness.
## Scrappy Creative Builds Brand
Lower-production testimonial creative can move brand equity and consideration as well as premium work.

> Nick’s Brandweek 2026 hot take: marketers may be overestimating how much polish is required to build brand equity.
## Creators in Every Channel
Nick believes creators should eventually account for a significant share of every marketing channel.

> Nick sees creator marketing evolving beyond its own budget line or channel. The bigger shift, in his view, is weaving creator-led thinking across the broader media and creative mix.
## Key takeaway

Nick Fairbairn of Chime says brand lift and direct-response accountability should sit in the same conversation to improve marketing strategy.