The Quiet Death of Relevance (and How to Stop It)

This image was created with AI using DALL•E with the prompt: "A broken electrical cord between two glowing symbols — one labeled “Brand,” the other “Audience.” Sparks faintly bridging the gap, signifying disconnection and potential reconnection. Tone: cinematic, moody."

From the Desk of the CEO

After my last post, a friend called and said, “Nice job skimming the surface.” Translation: I didn’t go deep enough. I talked about doing brand research but not what to look for once you have it. Fair. So here you go.

These are the five triggers that should make you check your brand’s pulse (aka do research). Each one’s a symptom of drift. A bad logo, outdated colors—those are just skin conditions. The real sickness is disconnection: from strategy, from audience, from market. So, please read on.

1. When the Crowd Moves On 

Kevin Keller, in Strategic Brand Management, notes that every brand believes it’s immortal—until the audience slips away. No riots, no headlines. Just a quiet click of doors. The company keeps performing, louder now, chasing applause that’s gone. But markets are alive. They molt, they wander, they fall for someone new. Relevance fades quietly—like a Member’s Only jacket no one wears anymore. 

2. When the Story Doesn’t Match the Hero 

It’s simple: the hero has changed, but the story hasn’t. The business evolves—new vision, new offerings—but the brand stays stuck in the past. When that happens, the brand drags the strategy instead of driving it. If your story still says the hero rides a horse while he’s already on a hovercraft, you’ve got a problem. 

3. The Static of Sameness

Every brand wants to be heard, but they’re all shouting the same thing. Same fonts, same promises, same breathless talk of “innovation.” It all blurs into elevator music. The answer isn’t more volume—it’s creating difference. 

4. The Story People Tell Without You 

Every brand has two stories: the one it tells, and the one people repeat when it’s not around. When those stories don’t match, reputation starts to rot from the inside out. You can’t fix it with a press release or a rebrand-once-removed. You fix it by listening, owning what’s true, and rewriting the story with everyone still in the room. 

5. The Creature You Build Still Needs Feeding 

A brand isn’t a monument. It’s a living thing—part promise, part habit, part rumor. It needs attention, consistency, and the occasional meal of truth. Ignore it, and it turns old and irrelevant. The companies that thrive know this: you don’t own a brand; you keep it alive. Audit your brand to gage whether it truly is timeless or time to evolve. 

When relevance returns, the brand lives again—an asset, not an artifact. But when it fades, don’t kid yourself. Irrelevance doesn’t wound a brand. It buries it, quietly, with good intentions. So, be on the lookout. 

John, is this better? 

—
Michael Dean
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