5 ways to keep your brand relevant

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: This episode argues that brand relevance is essential for long-term competitiveness and presents five touchstones for sustaining it: take a stand, retell your story in fresh ways, keep a two-way customer conversation, preserve clear brand boundaries in partnerships/acquisitions, and use partners to amplify relevance. Examples from Nike, Charity Water, Warby Parker, the U.S. Olympic Committee, Disney, Net-a-Porter, and AKQA illustrate how relevance is built through authenticity, adaptability, and strategic relationships.

Main Topics: Take a stand without becoming bland: Brands lose relevance when they play it safe and become generic. The episode uses Nike’s controversial but authentic campaigns, including the Revolution ad and Colin Kaepernick partnership, to show how a clear point of view can strengthen a brand when it reflects real values. Tell the same story in new ways: A brand’s core mission can stay constant while the storytelling format evolves. Charity Water demonstrates how changing the delivery of its message—through subscriptions, virtual events, and new messengers—kept donors engaged and fundraising sustainable. Maintain a conversation with customers: Relevant brands listen as much as they speak. Warby Parker’s pricing tests and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s athlete conversations show how customer feedback can shape positioning, pricing, and organizational change. Protect brand borders in multi-brand systems: When brands are merged or managed together, identities must remain distinct. Disney’s handling of Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Fox, and Hulu shows the value of keeping each brand’s meaning intact while using technology and platforms to distribute them. Use partners to elevate relevance: Strategic partnerships can make an emerging brand credible and widen its reach. Net-a-Porter and AKQA both grew by aligning with established, value-aligned brands that validated their businesses and expanded their market influence. Relevance as a foundation of long-term brand value: The episode frames brand relevance as a must-have rather than a marketing extra. It connects relevance to customer engagement, investor confidence, team pride, and organizational survival.

Key Arguments: Playing it safe leads brands toward irrelevance; brands need a distinct stance to remain memorable and competitive. Authenticity matters more than attention-seeking; cause marketing works only when it emerges naturally from the brand’s own history and values. A core brand story can stay the same, but the way it is told must evolve with audience expectations, scale stage, and context. Listening to customers is not just research; it is a strategic input that can change pricing, positioning, and inclusion efforts. Brands with multiple properties or partners must maintain clear identities to avoid confusion and dilution. Partnerships can serve as proof points for emerging brands, helping them gain trust and market legitimacy faster. Brand relevance is dynamic and must be continuously managed because markets, technology, and customer needs keep changing.

Data Points: Businesses growth rate with PEO: twice as fast - Mentioned in sponsor copy for Deal/PEO services People without clean water: 785 million - Scott Harrison describing the scale of Charity Water’s mission World population lacking clean water: 10% - Scott Harrison explaining the scope of the water crisis Charity Water donation model duration: first 10 years - Period during which Charity Water used a one-time donation / peer-to-peer fundraising model Spring annual recurring donations: over $20 million - Charity Water’s subscription-style donor program before the pandemic Small supporter Zoom event turnout: about 600 people - Scott Harrison’s Zoom calls with Spring members Charity Water gala fundraising: about $7 million - Annual gala proceeds before virtual pivot Virtual gala fundraising in final five minutes: $5 million - Charity Water’s COVID-era Zoom gala with 120 families Families in Charity Water’s key donor group: 125 families - The Well, donors covering operating costs Warby Parker survey price range: $45 to several hundred dollars - Testing perceived value for eyewear pricing Warby Parker optimal price point: $95 - Final chosen price after customer testing and internal deliberation Nike ad year: 1987 - Original Revolution commercial discussed in the episode Discounted price comparison: $45 for a $500 product - Warby Parker’s proposed initial pricing strategy Net-a-Porter early partner brands: Chloé, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Fendi - Major brands used as validation for the platform AKQA founded: 1994 - Ajaz Ahmed started AKQA at age 21 Zoom event size: 120 families - Charity Water virtual gala audience in one fundraising event

Pivotal Quotes: "If you play it safe, your brand will eventually slip into irrelevance." — Reid Hoffman: Core framing for the first touchstone on brand risk and distinctiveness "A brand, by its very definition, is something that holds a strong set of opinions about something that would attract someone." — Colleen DeCourcy: Explaining why relevance requires conviction, not broad neutrality "Branding isn't static. It's a conversation." — Reid Hoffman: Summarizing the episode’s point that brands must listen and adapt continuously

Implications: For founders and marketers, the lesson is to treat brand as a living system: take principled stands, refresh the story, listen actively, preserve identity, and choose partners carefully. Relevance becomes a strategic asset that drives growth and longevity.