Toniq

Whether it’s a controversial comment by a high-profile host or a decision that doesn’t sit well with the audience, the way a brand responds can significantly impact its reputation.

Let’s call this what it is: seasonal creep. A slow, deliberate, marketing-led invasion of one season into another—like a well-manicured army of influencers and flavor chemists marching across the calendar.

 As branding continues to evolve in response to changing consumer expectations, cultural shifts, and technological advancements, it raises a question: Is it time to rethink the lexicon of branding?

It doesn’t matter whether you’re on a stage, behind a pitch deck, or deep in a Figma file—creative work today is often judged by how quickly it can deliver visible results.

For a brand to summon courage, it needs more than just a moment of bold inspiration. True courage is often born from within—a deep-rooted sense of purpose and identity that empowers a brand to take action, even when the path is uncertain.

A brand doesn’t have the same luxury as I did in that show. I had 45 more chances, a brand doesn’t. I was just good enough that I was able to recover my show and do a great run, a brand doesn’t have that luxury.

We are the products of the stories we tell—and the stories we believe. Whether we’re gathered around a fire, a screen, or a strategy meeting, we are still trying to understand the world through narrative.

But here’s the question: When a personal brand becomes so closely linked with a company, as Eddie’s did with Crazy Eddie, is that a good thing?

Before it was a hashtag, it was a pound sign. Or maybe a number symbol. Or if you were feeling particularly retro, “octothorpe.”

... a much larger reality every prestige brand has to contend with: once your product is out in the world, it’s no longer just yours.

The shorthand brands use isn't just about clever phrases or logos; it’s about familiarity. When customers repeatedly encounter these shorthand symbols—whether verbal or visual—they begin to trust the brand.

It’s like every brand went to the same focus group and came back wearing the same plain gray sweater.

We are lonelier now than we’ve ever been. That’s not opinion—that’s data. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called loneliness an epidemic in 2023, saying it’s as dangerous to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

We live in a culture that tells us to strive—be premium, be luxury, be legacy. And yet, some of the loudest winners online are proudly… mid.

Propaganda, at its core, is branding with a gun behind it.