#brand-rivalry

#brand-rivalry

While I won't say that the Aldi curls are bad, they lack the same flavorful, cheesy, and almost rich flavor of Cheetos. They're lackluster in both flavor and color, and I just couldn't see myself buying them again.

Together, the multicultural segment totaled 46 million households in 2024, representing just over 33% of all households in the country—a 12% increase compared to 2017.

Performance has always been the foundation of commerce media because it tied spend to measurable behavior. From sponsored search to sponsored products, the category scaled by delivering outcomes that could be directly attributed to transactions. Automation, AI-driven optimization and closed-loop measurement accelerated that model and made outcomes-based buying the norm. Outcomes still matter. But as AI reduces friction and increases competition, outcomes alone no longer create separation.

A big marker of brand success is recognition. When customers can pick out any of your products or services and easily identify them as part of your brand, you know you've made a lasting impression. A great example is Google, whose products and services are distinguishable from a mile off, from Gmail and Google Ads to Google Maps and Google Pay.

For much of the modern corporate era, brand has been treated as surface area. A story told outward. A set of signals designed to persuade, attract, and differentiate. When companies spoke about brand, they were usually talking about perception: how they looked in the market, how they sounded, how they were received. That framing made sense in a world where markets moved a little more slowly, organizations were stable, and leadership could afford to separate strategy from culture, product from meaning, execution from belief.

This year has been volatile for brands. With tariffs taking effect, the job market slowing, and consumer spending barely keeping pace with inflation, it's no surprise that ad spend has slowed in tandem. Amidst economic uncertainty and an onslaught of unanswered questions, brands are increasingly looking for demonstrable ROI in their marketing and design budgets. Some may choose to invest in a costly new campaign or commit to a new brand identity, while others will default to slashing their budgets altogether.

So the brand reinvents itself to pull in a younger segment of the market, often by borrowing ideas from cooler competitors to seem more "on-trend." But instead of younger and cooler, the rebrand comes off as insincere, stilted, or cringey. Worse, the brand's older, core customers, who liked the brand as it was, are irritated by the changes. Instead of spurring new growth, the effort drives off some of the existing customers, leaving the brand worse off than when it started.

There are a variety of reasons why companies take the rebrand plunge, but one thing is certain - they feel the action is worth the risk. The consumer market is so highly competitive that brands often need to take drastic measures to stay relevant. For many companies it can take a massive overhaul to fuel a brand enough to push through the masses and stay top of mind for consumers.