Investment bankers are not the most obvious players to be at the frontline of marketing trends but the managing director of UBS’s investment bank, Luke Bentvelzen, says consumer-facing companies and tech start-ups should focus on building their brand before considering an IPO.

Australian investors, Mr Bentvelzen told CMO Brief, had far less of an appetite for business-to-consumer companies than their US peers, but any emerging Australian direct-to-consumer company had to invest in building their brand rather than expecting short-term performance marketing tactics to sustainably build their companies.