Perspectives
Jul 17
Note: This blog was originally published in June 2023. It was lightly edited for republication in October 2026.
We work with many brands that have an illustrious history. The founder stories are often magical and brands do well to celebrate them.
But too often there is an assumption that brand strategy IS the brand story.
Let me share a scenario that happens over and over again.
Not long ago we took a call from a former client who had moved on to another brand in the same category. They had a rich history abroad and were making significant investments in growing the brand in the US. Owned retail, product line extensions, and a significant e-commerce push were all part of the plan. Brand awareness was well over 75% in their region, and close to 95% in their home country. But awareness was well below 25% in the US.
When we asked what their strategy was to position the brand in the US, they shared their origin story. That's it. It’s a rich story, to be fair, set in the ‘60s and a continent away. No doubt it is a valuable brand asset, but the brand's history is not even close to a strategy to connect with today's US consumers.
Factions inside the company had decided that since brand awareness was the problem, all that was needed to move the needle was to tell Americans about the brand's history. They would produce some films about that history, buy the media, and Americans would open their wallets.
Where do I even start with this?
This kind of misunderstanding is contagious because it gives license to avoid the hard work of coming up with something new and powerful. It buys time while wasting money. Who is going to blame an employee for celebrating the company's history?
A brand's history is just a backdrop to a strategy that might cut through the noise and connect with people.
What about the audience definition? What about their needs? How will the brand differentiate from the competition in terms of the category context, the consumer context, and the cultural context?
If people made decisions on where to spend their money based on a brand's origin story, then Wikipedia wouldn't be a non-profit.
I was lucky to be responsible for Nike's brand strategy for some years at Wieden + Kennedy. That gig demanded that you understand the history and figure out a new expression if you expected to keep your job. Every brief, every category, every year. Know where you came from and figure out something new.
Before Serena Williams there was Prefontaine. He was the spirit of Just Do It, the wild child runner who was the face of a brand that was growing fast in running (but not much else). Nike wanted to expand to other categories. What the hell did Pre mean in basketball? Nothing.
The movie Air, which in addition to having Ben Affleck do the worst Phil Knight impersonation imaginable, tells the business story of signing Michael Jordan. This deal unlocked an opportunity for the brand that goes way beyond basketball, as big as that business was and still is. This shift proved that the power of the Nike brand wasn't just embodied in a person—it was an idea.
The idea? That the potential for achievement exists in all of us and it can manifest in so many ways. Pre → MJ, and then when Nike made it a mission to rip soccer from Adidas control → the Brazilian National Team and their Ginga style of play.
They applied this strategy as they looked to dominate each category. Tiger Woods in golf, Roger and Serena in tennis. Serena became Nike's most powerful ambassador for all of sport. This strategy hit a wall with skateboarding (skaters don't always follow superstars because, you know, counter-culture). Then the brand took a grassroots approach, partnering with local skate shops and quietly funding parks and tours. Holy shit, the spirit of JDI can live in concrete?
This is the playbook: Define a brand in a multi-dimensional way so that the creative expression can change to connect with new humans in ways that they care about.
This notion is so obvious, but it’s an approach that is often ignored. The business landscape has become complicated, but simple truths remain. If you want to connect with people, you have to meet them where they are. Yes, it takes a bit more effort to do it right, but we have a playbook to set that strategy in a way that will move the needle today.
A year from now, wouldn't you rather look back knowing that you took the time to do it right? It's only time and money that you throw away when you skip the strategy. That, and the opportunity to connect beyond your current universe.