Brands face a tension: they need timeless strategy to build lasting value, yet timely execution to stay relevant. Performance marketing demands speed – real-time optimization, instant pivots, chasing trending moments. But in the rush to be timely, brands lose their way, pursuing every tactical opportunity without strategic direction. 

The challenge isn't choosing between timeless and timely – it's balancing them. Here's the paradox: the deeper your timeless foundation, the more agile you become with timely execution. 

Be careful not to dismiss strategy as dead weight – something that slows you down in fast-moving markets. Think of it as a tree: the deeper the roots, the more branches can, well, branch out. Or as a map. It doesn’t hem you in; it shows you where you can sail safely. 

When your team knows your brand's core purpose, they can respond to opportunities without losing coherence. They understand which trends align with your values and which compromise your position. They can break creative rules because they know which principles are unbreakable. 

The brands that seem most flexible? They're anchored deepest. The ones that appear most spontaneous? They're most strategic. 

It's like being a swan that looks effortless on the surface but is paddling strategically underneath—except in reverse. Your strategy does the heavy lifting so your tactics can dance. Too many metaphors mixing? Yeah, this one got away from me a bit. 

How to Be Your Own Harshest Critic

If you’re building a brand, writing a book, launching a product, or sharing any kind of idea with the world, never forget: your audience has other options. Lots of them. 

That’s why one of my favorite exercises in brand strategy is learning to be your own harshest critic. 

Let’s say you’re about to publish a self-help book. Before you spend time perfecting your pitch or designing the cover, ask yourself: 

What else might someone choose instead of my book?

• Another self-help book 

• A popular podcast 

• A YouTube series 

• Therapy or coaching 

• A Masterclass 

• Doing absolutely nothing 

Yep – even inaction is a competitor.

Asking yourself this uncovers the real-world frame of reference your offering will be placed in. It helps you stop thinking of your idea in isolation and instead see it through the eyes of someone who’s trying to solve a problem and weighing their options. 

Next, ask yourself: 

How is my offering similar or different from these alternatives?

• What does it do better? 

• Where does it fall short? 

• How does it make people feel a way that nothing else can? 

By identifying both the overlap and the gap, you’ll gain clarity on how to position your offering quickly and how to communicate what sets it apart. 

The key to standing out isn’t pretending your competition doesn’t exist. 
It’s knowing exactly why you’re the better choice – and helping others see it too. 

Brands don’t always have to be so positive. One of my favorite exercises is for a brand to think about what it is NOT.  

When you define what you stand against – a trend, an attitude, or another brand – you indirectly illuminate who you are and who you speak to. That opposition can then either become part of your identity, or even just a way to make smarter decisions as a brand. 

Negativity can be a positive. Naming what you oppose is clarifying. It sharpens your position, connects you with the right audience, and makes your brand unmistakable. When you say what you are and what you aren’t, you’re not diluting your brand, you’re distilling it. 

Why it works:

• Sharpens positioning: “We’re not corporate. We’re human.” Saying what you reject often draws a clearer line in the sand than saying what you choose. 

• Attracts the right people: Those who dislike the thing you actively oppose will more naturally find their way to your brand. 

• Simplifies decisions: Choosing tactics is easier when filtered through what you won’t do.

See it in action:

• Apple didn’t just position for creativity and empowerment – they pushed against “complexity” and “PC stuffiness” (remember the “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” campaign?). 

• Patagonia didn’t just champion outdoor gear – they stood against fast fashion’s overconsumption. 

• Mailchimp isn’t just email marketing – it’s the anti-corporate, fun, small‑biz-savvy platform that doesn't take itself too seriously. 

How to give it a try

• List what you don’t want: Identify brands, behaviors, or norms you actively reject. (“We’re not formal. We don’t preach.”) 

• Translate that into what you are: “We’re relaxed experts.” “We’re irreverent problem‑solvers.” Turn negation into identity. 

• Double‑check it lands emotionally: Does it resonate with the audience you want (note: ideally without being too mean to those you don’t)? 

• Infuse it everywhere: Brand voice, visuals, content, partnerships, hiring – let the “not‑this” thread run through everything. 

Here’s a challenge: if you could erase your brand and start fresh, what would you keep? What would you reinvent? This will help show the bold moves you’ve been afraid to make.

Remember – AI tools are just that: tools. 

I’ve seen people industry rushing to tell others that “AI did this for us” or “AI told us this” - as if that gives it more perceived clout. But even if it does, don’t write yourself out of the story. Take the credit; you did the work and used every tool at your disposal to do so. An artist wouldn’t point at their painting and say, “my paintbrush did this”. An engineer wouldn’t point to a bridge and say, “my calculator did this”. 

Be a strategist, and let AI be a tool on your belt. An arrow in your quiver. A color on your palette. Okay, that’s too many metaphors. Claude, please rewrite this for clarity and conciseness...  

If your copy isn't quite hitting, make sure you're connecting it up higher with strategy. Messaging starts with objectives - what perceptions or actions do you want to change or reinforce in your readers? If you only think about the cool things you want to show off - like benefits, features, new products - you might not move the needle the way you want. And that's the difference between copy and great copy: is it helping the business accomplish what it needs? 

Here's the hard truth: clever headlines and punchy CTAs mean nothing if they're not serving a clear strategic purpose. Before you write a single word, ask yourself three questions: 

What specific behavior am I trying to drive? Not "engagement" or "awareness" - actual behaviors. Sign-ups, purchases, referrals, retention. Get specific. 

What perceptions currently stopping my audience from taking that action? Do they not trust you? Do they not know what you actually do? Do they think you're too expensive? Your copy should directly address these barriers, not dance around them. 

How will I know if it worked? If you can't measure it, you can't improve it. Great copy is accountable copy. 

The most beautiful prose in the world is worthless if it doesn't move your business forward. Start with strategy, then make it sing. Your conversion rates will thank you. 

Category feeling crowded? Sometimes, the smartest move isn’t to fight harder for a bit of attention: instead, make a new category. When the story you’re telling starts to sound like everyone else’s, that’s your cue to change the conversation. Redefining your brand category isn’t about running away from the competition; it’s about creating a space where you’re the obvious choice because you’re the only choice. Big fish, small pond? Sure. But better yet: build your own pond. Then invite others to try and catch up. 

When Domino’s hit rock bottom in 2009, they could have pinched pennies – cheaper sauce, smaller pizzas – hoping to squeeze more profit and stay afloat a bit longer. But that would be like poking holes in your sinking ship hoping it makes you faster.

Instead, they made a decision built on brand. They owned the criticism ("our pizza tastes like cardboard"), invested $75 million in ads admitting their faults, and rebuilt both their recipes and reputation.

That's leading with brand: knowing where you want to be, calling your shot, and investing in the strategy to get there.

Compare that to Southwest Airlines right now. A few business emergencies and they're surrendering what made them special. No more unassigned seating. No more free bags. They're abandoning their unique market position to mimic industry giants.

They traded their brand for a spreadsheet. They lost their battle with private equity and now they're just another commodity competing head-on with larger players. Why should people go out of their way to choose them?

Lead with brand. Protect what makes you different, or become forgettable.