Most brands want to grow – but very few know what’s actually driving that growth. Is it your Google Ads? Your Instagram campaigns? That last email? For home, garden, and lifestyle brands looking to scale online, the answer is usually unclear.
That’s why we created the BEAR framework – a simple, four-part model we use with every client at The Evergreen Agency to clarify exactly where sales and leads are coming from, and where to invest next.
Here’s how it works:
What is BEAR?
Before you grow, you need clarity. The BEAR framework helps you understand how your business currently generates revenue.
- Brand
- Ads
- Referral
Those are the four core levers. Every sale you make comes from one (or a mix) of these. When you understand their roles in your business, you can stop guessing and start scaling.
Why most businesses need this
When we speak to prospective clients, they often say the same thing: “We want to grow, but we’re not sure what’s working.”
That’s where BEAR gives clarity.
- Some brands are overly reliant on ads and don’t realise it.
- Others underuse email, missing out on repeat revenue.
- Many rely heavily on referrals, but can’t scale them.
- Few truly understand the role their brand plays in visibility and conversion.
The BEAR framework shows you where you are today – and how to hit your next revenue goal.
Breaking it down: brand
This is about being known and remembered. Whether you’re a local showroom or an online-only brand, your brand needs to stand for something clear and consistent.
- Local businesses: What you do and where you do it should be obvious.
- Ecommerce businesses: What you do and who you do it for is key.
- Understand branded search volume, repeat purchases, and brand affinity.
- Be “famous to a few”, especially in your niche or area.
Email: the underused powerhouse
Email should be one of your highest ROI channels – but many businesses either neglect it or fail to use it properly.
- Ask yourself: how much revenue do you generate from your email list?
- Are you sending campaigns regularly? Do you segment by customer type or interest?
- Many brands doing £2–3M in revenue make 30%+ of that from email alone.
- Email is a scalable, cost-effective lever – and it compounds over time.
Ads: the biggest lever (for most)
For the vast majority of brands we work with, ads are the main driver of revenue – but they’re also the biggest risk when not managed correctly.
- BEAR groups all paid media together: Google, Meta, YouTube, Pinterest etc.
- For many, ads drive 50–70% of all sales.
- You need to know your ROAS, your CPA, and how each ad channel contributes.
- If you want to double revenue, ads will likely play a huge role – and require increased investment.
Referral: the rest of the iceberg
This includes word of mouth, repeat business, organic search, PR, and recommendations.
- These channels are powerful but hard to control.
- You can’t force referrals, they grow as a byproduct of good brand and service.
- Organic social and SEO often sit here too (and are usually overestimated).
- We track and account for these – but we don’t rely on them to scale.
The real power: using BEAR to plan growth
Once you understand your reliance on each BEAR channel, you can map how to grow from where you are to where you want to be.
Let’s say:
- Your revenue is £1M
- 50% comes from ads
- 25% from email
- 10% from brand
- 15% from referral
To grow to £2M, you now know exactly what needs to shift:
- Ads need to go from £500K to £1M – so what does that mean for your ad budget?
- Email needs to go from £250K to £500K – so how will you grow your list and value per subscriber?
- If referrals can only grow slowly, where will you get the extra revenue from?
You can now plan with precision – not guesswork.
Final thoughts
BEAR gives structure to your growth goals. It tells you where you’re strong, where you’re vulnerable, and what needs investment.
Most businesses are far too reliant on one or two channels without even realising it. BEAR fixes that, and gives you the confidence to build a balanced, scalable marketing strategy.
If you’re a home, garden, or lifestyle brand turning over £1–20M and want to grow sustainably, BEAR is where we start. Every time.
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