The short answer
Give brand ads 100 days, then check for any real sign of traction
Early weeks are noise, so don't read anything into them. Expect the slightest bit of traction within the first 100 days. If there's nothing to point to by then, it's likely time to stop. Recall itself is a long game with no fixed month count, which is exactly why the 100-day checkpoint matters more than a calendar guess.
How long should you run brand ads before judging them
The first stretch of any brand package is going to feel quiet, and that's expected. People need repeated exposure before a name or a face starts to register, so the early weeks are not the test. The real checkpoint is 100 days in. By then you should see the slightest bit of traction, some sign that your name is landing somewhere, more recognition, more response, anything you can point to as movement.
If 100 days pass and there's genuinely nothing, no traction at all, that's the signal to stop rather than keep waiting. Hugo doesn't tell agents to ride out a bad brand package indefinitely hoping it turns a corner. Recall itself doesn't come with a guaranteed month count, since every market and every agent's starting point is different, but the 100-day checkpoint is the practical way to judge progress without guessing.
What to do once there's traction
Once you see that early traction, the move isn't to swap your message out for something new. Keep the same core message running and build on it instead of reinventing it. Recall is a long game, and every time you change the story, you reset some of the recognition you already built. Consistency is what compounds here.
That doesn't mean the ads stay frozen. Add to the message rather than replace it: a seasonal push layered on top of the steady baseline, or the same approach extended into a new area you're starting to work. The core stays recognizable while the edges grow.
Plan creative in quarters, not budget shifts
The useful way to plan a year of brand ads is in quarters, but the thing that changes each quarter should be the creative, not how much you're spending. Refresh the visuals, update a seasonal angle, add a new area to the mix, while the underlying message and the budget stay steady underneath it. This keeps the ads from going stale without starting the recognition clock over.
Treat each quarter as a chance to layer something new onto what's already working, not a reason to pull money away from brand ads the moment they start to land. The agents who get the most out of brand ads are the ones who let the 100-day checkpoint do its job, then stay patient and additive after that instead of chasing a different message every month.
How long should an agent run brand ads before judging whether they're working?
About 100 days. That's the window where the slightest bit of traction should start to show up, name recognition building, a few more people reacting to the agent's content, something concrete to point to. Before that point, the numbers are still noise and don't mean much either way. Give it the full 100 days first.
Hugo, as of October 30, 2026: expect the slightest bit of traction in the first 100 days of brand ads.
What should an agent do if there's no traction after 100 days?
Stop the brand package. If 100 days have passed with nothing to show, no uptick in recognition, no response, it's unlikely that more time alone fixes it, and continuing to spend on the same message isn't a plan. This is the one case where Hugo's guidance is to cancel rather than wait longer. No traction by then means it's time to stop.
Hugo, as of October 30, 2026: if there is no slight traction by the 100-day mark, it is likely time to cancel.
Do brand ads run for a set term, or do they keep going until the agent stops them?
They run monthly, on an ongoing basis. A brand package bills and keeps running month to month with no action needed from the agent, and it keeps going until the agent chooses to cancel or renew the approach. That's by design, since brand recall builds from showing up consistently, not from a campaign that ends on a fixed date. It just keeps running until you say stop.
Hugo, as of August 13, 2026: brand ads bill and run monthly with no agent action required until the agent cancels.