Great piece. I've always believed brands are built in the trenches of consumer behavior, not boardrooms. The Brand Flip was a wake-up call, but what fascinates me now is how we've moved beyond flipping—it's more like fracturing.
Consumers don’t just shape brands; they co-own them in real time. They remix them, hijack narratives, and force companies into a constant state of adaptation. If brands don’t embrace this dynamic shift, they risk becoming relics in their own industry.
I like the idea of co-owning. Another way to think about it is co-authoring. Brands that are adapting well are those that let the audience participate in the narrative and let them even author parts of it.
Nice insights, Reí. In your follow up it would be great to hear how you see this applying to B2B as well. I agree with your points and while it is easier to see these trends taking shape in B2C, I think most underestimate this has also already happened in B2B as well!
As a follower of your work since I was a student 20 years ago, its really inspiring to be able to hear your insights on substack. I would love to contribute to your next section on Flywheel
Great piece. I've always believed brands are built in the trenches of consumer behavior, not boardrooms. The Brand Flip was a wake-up call, but what fascinates me now is how we've moved beyond flipping—it's more like fracturing.
Consumers don’t just shape brands; they co-own them in real time. They remix them, hijack narratives, and force companies into a constant state of adaptation. If brands don’t embrace this dynamic shift, they risk becoming relics in their own industry.
I like the idea of co-owning. Another way to think about it is co-authoring. Brands that are adapting well are those that let the audience participate in the narrative and let them even author parts of it.
Nice insights, Reí. In your follow up it would be great to hear how you see this applying to B2B as well. I agree with your points and while it is easier to see these trends taking shape in B2C, I think most underestimate this has also already happened in B2B as well!
Thank you, Chris. I knew someone would ask this as, admittedly, word-of-mouth in B2B is a lot harder than in B2C.
Will give it a thought and incorporate into my future piece.
As a follower of your work since I was a student 20 years ago, its really inspiring to be able to hear your insights on substack. I would love to contribute to your next section on Flywheel
Really well written! I appreciate the thoughtful depth you're going into with your ideas!