Every brand competes for attention, but not every brand competes strategically. Too often, marketing efforts are treated as disconnected activities rather than parts of a single ecosystem. For Chris Laws, the most effective brands understand that paid, owned and earned channels must work together to build both immediate impact and long-term value.
The Three Channel Types
Before a brand can orchestrate its communications, it must understand the role of each channel type.
Paid channels are those you buy – advertising, sponsorships, partnerships and promoted content. They drive reach and awareness quickly but can be wasteful if not backed by a clear message.
Owned channels are those you control – your website, social platforms, packaging, environments and customer touchpoints. These shape how the brand feels in its own world and are critical for consistency.
Earned channels are those you influence – media coverage, social sharing, user reviews and advocacy. They are a reflection of reputation and relevance.
Individually, these channels can work. Together, they create momentum that compounds over time.
A Connected System, Not a Funnel
For Chris Laws, the secret is integration. Paid channels attract attention, owned channels deepen understanding, and earned channels build trust. Each plays a role in the customer journey, and the hand-offs between them are where most brands lose coherence.
A strong brand strategy ensures that the same core idea runs through all three. The story should feel seamless whether it appears in a paid ad, a social post or a customer email. Without that thread, campaigns become disjointed and short-lived.
Brands such as Nike, Qantas and Apple have long understood this. Nike’s paid advertising inspires emotion, its owned platforms immerse audiences in a lifestyle, and its earned presence thrives on loyalty and advocacy. Locally, July Luggage and Frank
Body have taken similar cues, using distinct brand voices and visual systems to ensure every interaction feels recognisably theirs.
When all three channels align, the message carries further, and the brand feels far more cohesive.
Balancing Brand and Performance
Short-term marketing pressures often push brands toward performance tactics that drive clicks but erode meaning. Chris Laws helps businesses strike a balance between brand building and performance marketing.
Paid activity should always reinforce brand positioning, not dilute it. A campaign may sell a product, but it should also remind people what the brand stands for. Consistency in tone, visual style and message helps performance spend work harder by compounding recognition over time.
Global brands like Airbnb and Spotify manage this balance well. Their performance ads are still unmistakably on-brand, reflecting the same tone, imagery and emotional pull as their broader campaigns. Closer to home, Who Gives a Crap and Koala use a mix of wit, clarity and purpose to convert while staying true to their personality and mission.
The Role of Content and Community
Owned and earned channels rely on storytelling. They are where brands can stretch creatively, educate and build relationships. For Chris Laws, these channels are also the best test of whether a brand’s purpose holds true. If people choose to engage without being prompted, the story is resonating.
A strong example is Patagonia, which consistently uses its owned content to champion environmental action. Its advocacy generates earned coverage that amplifies its beliefs rather than its products. Similarly, Bank Australia uses its owned platforms to tell stories about ethical banking and environmental responsibility, earning respect and media attention through authenticity.
The goal is to create a flywheel where paid drives discovery, owned deepens connection and earned multiplies reach. Over time, this reduces reliance on paid channels altogether.
Designing a Channel Strategy
Building an integrated channel plan begins with clarity of purpose. Chris Laws encourages brands to map every touchpoint against their core idea, ensuring each channel plays a defined role.
Ask simple questions. What is each channel best at? Where do people first encounter the brand, and where do they fall in love with it? How can design, language and behaviour remain consistent across environments you do and do not control?
The aim is not to be everywhere. It is to be intentional. A few well-connected channels working in harmony will outperform a scattergun approach every time.
The Payoff of Integration
When paid, owned and earned channels align around a single organising idea, the result is coherence. Campaigns become easier to create, budgets go further and the brand feels bigger than the sum of its parts.
Chris Laws helps businesses design these systems so that every action builds long-term equity while driving short-term results. The process brings brand and marketing together – strategy guiding creativity, creativity bringing strategy to life.
Integration is not just efficient. It is how strong brands grow.