Your Brand Can’t Afford to Wait 15 Years—
So Why Build Like It Can?

You’ve seen the slide. We all have. A collection of marketing touchpoints from the best-in-class “go-to” brands—Apple, Nike, Starbucks, Coca-Cola—all presented as the gold standard of branding. They’re offered up in strategy decks as proof of “how it’s done well” The unspoken message: if you want to build a brand, this is your blueprint.

But is it really? Are these beacons right for your brand?

For emerging brands, startups, and newcos, this brand mythology is more distraction than inspiration. These companies had time—years of consistency, consumer trust, and cultural momentum—to shape who they are today. Emulating the behavior of their equity assets without history is not brand strategy. It’s cosplay.

If you’re still finding your footing, you don’t have the luxury of legacy. You haven’t yet earned recognition, let alone the elasticity to re-invent yourself with meaningful difference. You can’t measure what hasn’t been built. You can’t play with assets that your audiences haven’t built associations with.

The Myth of the Overnight Icon

Those “best-in-class” brands didn’t start out that way. They got here through deliberate, long-term decisions. They made trade-offs. They earned recognition with time — investment strategically and creatively—not sprints. That’s what made them trusted, recognizable and relevant.

But today, brand building doesn’t always have that luxury. The era of five-year roadmaps and monolithic media plans is dead. We’re in the age of micro-moments, TikTok trends, and algorithm-driven relevance. AI is flooding the conversation with executive stakeholders wanting to fast-track. Everyone is asking the same thing: How do we move quicker, measure better and accelerate impact?

Anchored by Purpose

Consumers aren’t just looking at your logo or listening to your tagline. They’re asking: Does this brand get me? Do I trust it? Do I want it in my life?

That’s why today’s disruptors—Ritual, Liquid Death, Olipop—are breaking through. Not because they’re loud or flashy, but because they’re sharply defined. They stand for something clear. They’ve created an omni-channel experience that resonates on a personal, emotional, even cultural level.

Because today’s consumers don’t just engage with brands—they belong to them.

This emotional mirror is where brands of today can win. A few years back, La Croix embraced this mindset reframing their purpose and anchoring efforts for cultural adoption. The La Croix’s brand experience is half of what makes the drink. They didn’t ask for a seat at the table—they built their own after more than decade of flying under the radar. They didn’t just enter white space. They cultivated it, curated it, and turned purpose into meaning. How they sound. The people they partner with. The communities they speak to. Nothing is accidental.

Branding Is a Forever Build

This work is never one-and-done. It’s about knowing where you are now—and where you want to go. What do you need to solve today? Awareness? Credibility? Differentiation? And how are you laying the foundation for the brand you want to be?

Planning with the long view, even as you operate in the now. Staying agile but staying grounded. Thinking five years ahead while delivering value this week. Truly understanding your audience not just demographically, but emotionally and behaviorally. Continuously preparing for shifts in culture and emerging societal trends to ensure ongoing relevance.

And maybe most importantly: look beyond the overused slides. Chances are that the brand that will unlock your next level of clarity and conviction isn’t one of the traditional titans. It’s the one no one’s watching yet.