ABC Branding: Why Great Brands Start with Emotion, Not Just a Logo
On May 21st, I stood in front of a packed room at LACS Anjos, Lisbon. A projector screen, a yellow t-shirt with a grumpy cat patch, and 50+ curious creatives in fold-up chairs. I wasn’t just there to talk about branding—I wanted to reframe how we feel about it.
A Full Room, A Simple Idea
On May 21st, I stood in front of a packed room at LACS Anjos, Lisbon. A projector screen, a yellow t-shirt with a grumpy cat patch, and 50+ curious creatives in fold-up chairs. I wasn’t just there to talk about branding—I wanted to reframe how we feel about it.
Cut Through the Noise
Brands today operate in chaos. Thousands of messages fly at consumers daily. Most vanish without a trace. My goal was to offer a framework that helps brands rise above the noise using something deceptively simple: emotional clarity.
Most Brands Don’t Know What Kind of Brand They Are
The confusion often starts at the top. CEOs push for advertising when what they need is better communication. Marketing teams try to “do branding” without aligning with the actual product. Design teams are left fixing inconsistency without fixing the strategy.
“The problem with advertising is it’s a big risk without a good idea to hold it together.”
The ABC Framework
I introduced a simple model to break down where a brand sits:
| Type | Focus | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising | Attention & campaigns | Pepsi (new rebrand) |
| Branding | Identity, values, and cohesion | Burberry (craft revival) |
| Communication | Everyday clarity in messaging | TripAdvisor (evolution) |
Each has value. But a great brand knows which lever to pull—and when.
Case Study: Belazu
Belazu’s gourmet ingredients aren’t just good—they’re positioned like jewelry for chefs. Their storytelling (“It all began with an olive”) brings emotion into food.
Why it works:
- Premium pricing backed by trust
- Craftsmanship and authenticity
- Strong founder story
But positioning requires internal trust, consistency and commitment, it’s not for the faint of heart. Factors like pricing can be a risk because, a high price = narrow reach. Breaking this commitment can break the spell.
Solution: Fractal Branding®
Most brands use a top-down model. Fractal Branding flips this. It’s flexible, scalable, and inclusive.
Fractal Branding® =
- Adaptable across platforms
- co-created with teams & customers
- Rooted in business goals, not just vibes
- Capable of repetition like… well, a fractal
Think: your vision, multiplied through everything you do.
The 5C’s of Brand Success
A cheat sheet I use with clients. If you want cohesion, nail these five:
- CEO / C-Suite – Sets the tone (e.g., Elon Musk renaming Twitter to X)
- Culture – Defines the soul (e.g., Burberry returning to craft)
- Communication – Shows who you are (e.g., Pepsi’s redesign)
- Creation – Makes it real (e.g., Meta’s tech-first shift)
- Customer – Shapes everything (e.g., TripAdvisor becoming a guide)
What’s Going to Happen?
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, marketer, or designer, the idea is simple:
Find which of these that connects with you and your brand:
- Why Brands focus on deep meaning.
- How Brands are all about user experience
- What Brands are about clear value proposition.
If you do, you’ll be easier to understand, harder to forget, and better at growing with the world—not against it.
