Strategic Brand Equity Enhancement

You don't have to have the most innovative or cool product to make millions. This is the story of how a 100+ year old product jumped from $74 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023. In the last few years, we've seen quite a few weird products thrive...Liquid Death, flamethrowers, and even JPG art fetching millions. Yet, Stanley's remarkable brand success stands out as one of the most extraordinary and weird business stories...ever! How the heck an ugly, not innovative, not unique, very old product became the most desired water container in the world? Here's how... Community Over Product: Like Stanley, brands that focus on fostering a sense of belonging and identity among their users can transcend the physical value of their products. It's not just about owning a Stanley cup; it's about being part of a broader narrative that celebrates sustainability, health, and collective identity. People trust people: Stanley's explosion in popularity, significantly boosted by TikTok, underscores the power of digital platforms in creating and amplifying brand narratives. Content creators and customers become brand ambassadors, weaving personal stories that resonate deeply with their audiences. Old but new: The once blue-collar cup remained relevant by introducing innovative marketing strategies without altering the core product and its quality. This balance of tradition and innovation is crucial for long-standing brands looking to rejuvenate their image. Crisis as Opportunity: Challenges like customer concerns and competitive criticism were handled with transparency and led to reinforcing brand trust. Stanley's adeptness at managing potential setbacks highlights the importance of responsiveness and responsibility. Brand is slow but pays: Stanley's gradual ascent to success is a testament to the value of building brand affinity over time. Instant success is rare and often unsustainable. Brands should focus on gradually building a loyal customer base through consistent quality and engagement. Cultural Contagion: Stanley's ability to become a 'cultural contagion' demonstrates the power of a brand to not just participate in, but shape cultural conversations and identities. This level of engagement is something competitors are keenly looking to emulate. Conclusion: Stanley's journey is a masterclass in brand resilience and relevance. It teaches us that true brand strength lies not in the novelty of the product but in the emotional and cultural resonance it achieves with its audience. As marketers, embracing these principles can lead to enduring brand loyalty and unprecedented growth.

The rebrand everyone should study. Stanley turned $70M into $750M. By 2019, Stanley was fading. The heritage thermos brand was being pulled from shelves and competitors like YETI held 16% market share. A 100-year-old company looked destined for decline.   Then came an insight. A lifestyle blog, "The Buy Guide", featured Stanley. Their audience, mostly women, bought out inventory every time. Stanley made a bold shift: Instead of clinging to the rugged, male audience, they repositioned around millennial and Gen Z women. The strategy: → Keep the heritage of durability and quality → Redesign for modern lifestyles (cupholder fit, straws, dishwasher-safe) → Launch in trendy colors and seasonal drops → Partner with influencers and retail collabs → Build a collector culture with limited editions The result: Revenue grew from $70M to $750M in four years. From being pulled from shelves… to customers camping out for launches. Lessons for every brand: 1. Do not assume your legacy audience is your only audience. 2. Customer insights, even small ones, can spark entire transformations. 3. Rebranding does not always mean abandoning heritage. It can mean reinterpreting it. 4. Speed matters. But if you move too fast without brand integrity, you lose trust. If this resonated, repost to your network ♻️ and follow me Holly Rae Felicetta for more.

Getting cited by AI isn’t random. It comes down to 3 core signals: But most brands are only strong in one or two of them. Here's how to make all 3 work for you: ☑️ Signal 1: Authority AI doesn’t just read your website, it cross-checks whether the broader web validates what you’re saying. Focus on: → backlinks → third-party mentions → directory listings → earned media → consistent brand/entity signals If nobody credible is reinforcing your expertise, AI is less likely to trust you as a source. ☑️ Signal 2: Relevance Your content needs to match the exact query intent, not just the general topic. Focus on: → question-format headings → specific, granular answers → current stats with named sources → strong topical coverage Provide the most accurate and up-to-date information in your niche. ☑️ Signal 3: Extractability AI parses content in chunks using semantic structure. Focus on: → direct answers early → short paragraphs → FAQ / Article schema → clear structure → crawlable, machine-readable pages If the answer is buried, messy, or hard to parse… you’ll often get skipped. Most brands fall into one of three traps: 🚫 Trusted, but invisible expert ↳ Strong authority and relevant content, but poor structure ↳ AI recognises the credibility, but struggles to extract the answer 🚫 Visible but unverified ↳ Well-structured and on-topic, but weak off-site authority ↳ AI can read it, but doesn’t trust it enough to cite it 🚫 Credible but off-topic ↳ Strong technical setup and authority signals ↳ But the content doesn’t actually answer what AI is looking for Here are 5 rules to ensure that doesn't happen to you: 1. Prioritise third-party validation. AI trusts what others say about you more than what you say about yourself. 2. Be specific, not broad. Precise answers beat generic overviews. 3. Structure for machines. Dense prose gets ignored regardless of quality. 4. Stay current. 76.4% of ChatGPT's top-cited pages were updated in the last 30 days. 5. Track your citations. You can't improve what you don't measure. Most businesses don’t have a content problem. They have an alignment problem. They’re missing one of the signals that actually makes a brand citable. If you want to fix this properly (not just tweak content), we’re going deep on this inside the AI Search Accelerator. It’s a 6-week, hands-on cohort where we break down: ✓ how AI search actually works ✓ how to find the exact prompts you need to win ✓ how to build content that gets cited ✓ how to structure your site for extractability ✓ how to build authority beyond your website All practical and built to implement. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/dmBAJndK ♻️ Repost to help others understand how AI citations actually work 🔔 Follow Emilia Möller for more on AI search & visibility

Price benchmark and positioning is one of the most important aspects for a new fashion brand launch. More so if it is an international brand launching in the diverse and competitive Indian market. The key benchmark of course would be the brand's base market price positioning as a starting point. More importantly to consider its global competition brand’s existing price positioning in India. And try to marry both outside-in and inside-out perspectives to identify that sweet spot in the market. Just applying a multiple on to the brand’s base market pricing for India may not suffice to cut through. It’s more nuanced than that, below are some key factors to consider: 🔸Brand's own market price positioning and aligning India pricing with that. M&S had to revise and reduce its pricing within a few years of its launch in India back in 2001, to align more with the market and be competitive. 🔸Brand’s global competitors pricing in India and their positioning vis-à-vis brand’s global benchmark. For example, a European denim brand starting 100 euros mrp planning to launch in India, would need to see its price benchmark with Levi's both in Europe as well as in India market to compare and align accordingly. 🔸Net landed cost including custom duty, freight etc and India sourcing mix requirements to reach ideal gross margins while maintaining global product standards & price competitiveness in the local market. Many leading international fashion brands operating over many years in India have successfully been able to offer that with scale and continue to grow. 🔸Pricing basis product perceived value, core vs fashion, categories etc and may price at a premium as/if needed, or sharper to try and sell more on fullprice and less on discounts. Zara entry price products in India are priced much sharper vis-a-vis higher price products in comparison with global price benchmarks, just to cater to that sweet price point for its TG. Thanks to social media, today customers are well informed about brand price positioning in the global market and would compare its pricing in Dubai, Bangkok etc or even the EU and US markets with the one in India, and make their shopping choices accordingly across brands and markets as accessible. Sharing snapshots of SS25 season men's t-shirt basic entry price point comparison for like-for-like style across brands in India and its global base market for perspective. Your thoughts? #Pricing #Positioning #Benchmark #Fashion #International #Brand #India #Market #Launch #Strategy

Disney’s Creative Evolution: Why Bringing in Bobby Hundreds is a Brilliant Move For decades, The Walt Disney Company has set the standard for storytelling, innovation, and cultural impact. But in recent years, their creative output has felt… familiar. The brand remains an entertainment powerhouse, yet capturing the next generation—particularly Gen Z and younger Millennials—has become a challenge. The world is moving faster, and youth culture is shifting in ways that demand fresh perspectives, risk-taking, and a deep understanding of where cultural conversations are happening. That’s why Disney’s latest move—bringing in Bobby Kim (aka Bobby Hundreds), co-founder of The Hundreds—is one of their smartest creative decisions in years. Bobby isn’t just a designer; he’s a culture builder. For over two decades, he’s been at the forefront of streetwear, community-driven branding, and youth engagement—three things Disney desperately needs more of in their creative approach. His past collaborations with Disney (which have blended nostalgia with street-level credibility) have already proven his ability to reinterpret the brand’s legacy in a way that resonates with new audiences. But as a more integral creative force? The potential is enormous. Here’s why this move matters: ✅ Cultural Relevance – Bobby has built his career on earning cultural relevance, not forcing it. In an era where audiences can spot inauthenticity from miles away, his influence could help Disney tap into real subcultures rather than just marketing to them. ✅ Creative Risk-Taking – The Hundreds has always thrived on challenging norms, blending high and low culture, and embracing creative chaos. Disney, for all its strengths, has become risk-averse in storytelling and branding. Bobby’s presence could help shake that up. ✅ Bridging Generations – Disney’s strongest asset is its legacy—but nostalgia alone won’t keep them relevant. Bobby understands how to reinterpret heritage brands for new generations, making them feel fresh while respecting their roots. ✅ Street-Level Connection – Disney’s marketing often aims at youth culture; Bobby has built his career from within it. That shift in perspective—bringing in someone who understands youth movements organically—could be transformative. If Disney truly empowers him, this could signal a new creative era—one where the company evolves from a nostalgia-driven content machine into a cultural force that actually leads trends again. And that’s the magic Disney needs right now. I couldn’t be more excited with this move and believe the Happiest Place on Earth just became a little bit brighter.

Have written about it in the past too, but strength of a brand cannot be measured by vanity metrics like number of award winning commercials, social media engagement/following or what other marketers think about the brand Here are 5 hard measurable business/marketing metrics which will tell you how strong your brand is 1. Price Elasticity of Demand: This is the measurement of change in demand with respect to the Price Elasticity= Percentage Change in Demand/Percentage Change in Price If you have a strong brand, you will have a lower price elasticity. Ideally as brand strength grows, the price elasticity should keep reducing 2. Contribution of Discounted Sales: Every brand has a standard market operating price( which could be MRP in few categories). And brands also have some sales through consumer discounts which are over and above the MOP Discounted Sales Contribution= Sales Volume with Discounts/ Total Sales Volume If you have a strong brand, the contribution of discounted sales will be lower. The ability to have more sales at the market operating price is a sign of a strong brand 3. Performance Ads Driven Sales: Every brand will have some organic sales( brand searches, repeats, Marketplace SEO etc) and some paid sales( Amazon ads, Google/FB ads) Performance Ads Driven Sales Percentage= Sales due to ads/Total Sales If you have a strong brand, the contribution of ads driven sales will be lower. A strong brand has higher repeats, higher brand searches and rank organically on top for generic searches on marketplaces 4. Performance Ads Driven Visitors: On the D2C website as well as marketplace listings, brands get both organic( brand searches and SEO) and paid ( Amazon Ads, Google/FB ads) visitors While the previous metric of ads driven sales is difficult for overall attribution( people clicking on ads to come to D2C website buys organically from marketplace is common), this is a easier metric to calculate Percentage of Performance Ads Driven Visitors= (Ads driven visitors on Marketplaces+ Ads driven visitors on D2C)/ (Total Visitors on Marketplaces+ Total Visitors on D2C) As brand strength grows, percentage of ads driven visitors should keep reducing 5. Share of Spends/Market Share: Share of spends in a category is the marketing spends done by the brand as a percentage of spends done by the entire category in a year. If a brand has a higher market share than share of spends, it means 2 things - Higher Conversion Rates & More Efficient Marketing Engine - High Baseline Sales When brands start, they would most likely have higher SOS than market share( as baseline is 0). But as brand strength grows, this number should be lower Strong brands should result in strong businesses. Done right, Investment in Brand Building always pay off financially. It means stronger brands are less reliant on performance marketing, discounts and can increase prices without drop in volumes.

The Secret of Luxury Hospitality Positioning 1/ Most hospitality brands think they're selling rooms. Hermès thinks they're selling dreams. Aman thinks they're selling transformation. The Ritz thinks they're selling legacy. Here's why 99% of hospitality brands will never understand true luxury positioning: 2/ The $600B hospitality industry has it backwards. They obsess over thread counts and marble bathrooms. But when a billionaire pays $2,000/night at Aman Tokyo, they're not buying a bed. They're buying 3 hours where the world can't find them. They're purchasing RELIEF. 3/ Hermès mastered this 187 years ago: Birkin bag cost breakdown: • Leather: $200 • Labor: $800 • The rest: POSITIONING You're not buying a bag. You're buying entry into a club your great-grandmother respected. Generational wealth buys IDENTITY, not amenities. 4/ The brands that "get it" understand 3 pillars: SCARCITY: Aman has 34 properties. They could have 340. They choose not to. LEGACY: Le Bristol Paris sells Hemingway's view, not just suites. IMMUNITY: While others chase trends, Aman perfects timeless sanctuary. 5/ What 90% of hospitality brands do wrong: ❌ Compete on features ❌ Chase Instagram moments ❌ Discount for occupancy ❌ Target "luxury travelers" What top-tier brands do: ✅ Create their own category ✅ Build generational rituals ✅ Never compromise positioning ✅ Target legacy builders 6/ Case study in positioning power: Four Seasons: "Exceptional service" St. Regis: "Bespoke luxury" Aman: "Sanctuary" One commands 3x the rate. Strategy isn't about better amenities. Strategy is about DIFFERENT MEANING. 7/ The psychology is profound: When stress costs $1M deals → peace becomes priceless When reputation spans generations → discretion becomes invaluable When time is finite → transformation becomes essential You're not selling hospitality. You're selling a story they'll tell their grandchildren. 8/ Luxury isn't a price point. Luxury is a CULTURE. The culture of anticipated needs, generational consistency, and effortless perfection. Culture can't be copied. Only cultivated. Ready to transform your hospitality brand from commodity to legacy? I help hotel brands discover their unique positioning and build generational meaning that commands premium rates. DM "POSITIONING" to explore how we can elevate your brand's story. RT if this changed how you think about hospitality positioning.

Describing your brand's social strategy in a succinct, smart way is hard. I love the way Alice Chen, Director of Social and Community at Away, did it in today's newsletter. "Cultural relevance is our North Star, and we prioritize adaptability to get there. The way consumers experience content on social media today in such a nonlinear way gives us a lot of freedom to make social our creative playground. The flip side of that coin means platforms want new, new, new. So we’ve built an internal infrastructure that empowers us to move quickly, react to the cultural climate, and create with intention without taking ourselves too seriously. That said, social as a creative playground doesn’t mean we throw spaghetti at the wall and hope something sticks. During our exploration, we are constantly asking ourselves: Is this ownable to Away? Our biggest wins have been a result of our bias to action, paired with an ownable approach. Ownability is key—moving quickly only gets you part of the way."

Why Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is a CEO’s Big Asset: When I took over as Chairman of Unilever Philippines, I was facing a "fierce competitor" (P&G) in a much more intense market than I had ever seen. I realized that to rally my team, I had to go beyond the language of spreadsheets and PowerPoints. I had to speak the language of the Pinoy spirit. Leading in an "alien" environment requires us to: 1. Listen to the History, Not Just the P&L: Understanding that the Philippines was colonized twice—first by Spain, then by America—explained the unique amalgam of lifestyles. It explained why they value tradition as much as they love the latest global trends. 2. Be an "Immersant," Not a "Tourist": Many expats make the mistake of sticking to their own circles. My wife, Mona, and I made it a point to see the country through the lens of its citizens. When you embrace the local culture, the local team embraces your leadership. 3. Respect the "Invisible Borders": Every country has unwritten rules. In the Philippines, the warmth toward outsiders is matched by a deep sense of national pride. If you don't respect the latter, you will never earn the former. In a market dominated by fierce competitors, understanding the local heartbeat is the difference between satisfactory performance and market leadership. • Resilience: Brands that actively support communities during natural disasters build an emotional bond that transcends price. • Cultural Resonance: Products and campaigns that tap into the pride of Pinoy heritage, their love for fiestas, and their familial values win deeper loyalty. • Relevance: Understanding consumers lifestyle, beliefs and behaviours becomes non-negotiable for relevance. Read more about cultural understanding, competitive battles, leading in an alien environment and much more in my soon to be released book “ A CEO’s BREW”.

I was at Facebook when Instagram was welcomed after the 2012 acquisition. When Facebook acquired Instagram, they made a strategic decision to welcome Instagram with its products, culture and identity as they became part of Facebook. Recognizing that integrations of cultures are one of the greatest challenges when companies are acquired or merged, Facebook made it a priority to preserve Instagram's unique culture and way of working. 💼 They wanted to welcome Instagram into the Facebook family while encouraging them to stay true to themselves. 🤝 What's wonderful about this story is how Instagram's middle managers played a pivotal role in the process. By empowering these managers and ensuring their alignment with the larger vision, Facebook successfully integrated Instagram while preserving its identity and culture. Here are two key takeaways from this journey: 1️⃣ Empowering leaders: Giving middle managers with belief and clarity can drive successful integration in 
mergers.
 2️⃣ Alignment is key: When everyone is on the same page, organizations can keep their identity whilst working together closely and effectively.
 This highlights how flexibility, empowerment, and alignment helps to build strong connections in the workplace. 🌟 
 This clip was taken from my recent interview with Oxford Leadership #facebook #instagram #companyculture #mergers #aquisitions