AG1 CMO on building a premium brand that lasts

Most of us fight in the same waters. 1️⃣ Endless discounts to stay “competitive” 2️⃣ Repackaging the same product/service 3️⃣ Burning ad budgets that blend into the noise 4️⃣ Chasing the same shrinking pool of buyers When results don’t improve? We blame the economy, the market... or even our own team. But maybe the problem isn’t the water. It’s the ocean we’re in. 🔴 The Red Ocean = crowded, bloody, and exhausting. 🔵 The Blue Ocean = uncontested, calm, and full of opportunity. The Blue Ocean, a new space where we set the rules, create fresh demand, and make competition irrelevant. ✨ New demand instead of recycled buyers ✨ Higher margins through real differentiation ✨ Brand loyalty that competitors can’t easily copy We’re putting this into practice as we work on our next venture. Maybe the best strategy isn’t to out-do the sharks and whales. It’s to sail where they don’t even exist. (Inspired by W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne’s Blue Ocean Strategy)

🌱 The Sustainable Edge: Rethinking Marketing for a Lasting Future I joined The Sustainable Edge at Sustainable Ventures in London, a brilliant conversation about how marketing can do more than generate demand: it can redirect it towards choices that build long-term value. Leo Rayman from EdenLab opened with a key insight: sustainability and growth are not opposites, they are interdependent. Marketing has the power to reshape behavior, redefine success, and create alignment between what’s profitable and what’s right. The panel with Mihir Haria-Shah Steffen Hubert Raphael Pieri from Channel 4, Seven.One Entertainment Group, and TF1 PUB shared how Europe’s leading broadcasters are turning sustainability into a strategy for growth, trust, and resilience not just an ethical checkbox. A huge thank you to @Francesca Ballabeni Jan Martinotti and Publieurope for the kind invitation and for curating such a meaningful dialogue between brands, media, and purpose. Because in the end, the most radical act of marketing is not to sell more, but to make people want better. What if the true edge of marketing is not persuasion, but conscious influence? #Sustainability #Marketing #Innovation #BrandStrategy #SustainableEdge #Media #Communication #Leadership #LondonEvents #PurposeDriven

What’s more dangerous for energy companies: volatile markets—or a brand misaligned from within? Chloe Kinnaird (Hodge), PhD our Head of Brand, explains why ensuring a brand's Vision, Culture and Image is aligned is a crucial differentiator. https://hubs.li/Q03LwQGq0

"Sometimes, when you're investing in a brand, you just have to follow your gut." Backstage at the Forbes #Under30Summit, Allison Ellsworth, poppi cofounder and brand advisor, spoke about what she thinks is the hardest part of building a company. https://lnkd.in/eEdPyrZm

"Sometimes, when you're investing in a brand, you just have to follow your gut." Backstage at the Forbes #Under30Summit, Allison Ellsworth, poppi cofounder and brand advisor, spoke about what she thinks is the hardest part of building a company. https://lnkd.in/eEdPyrZm

Most brands confuse a trend for a shift. My business partner, Alison Servi, talks a lot about the difference between the two. And it’s given me a new lens on building strategy. It's not groundbreaking, but being obsessed with spotting the difference results in either chasing short-term attention or building long-term relevance.

“Truth Well Told” isn’t just a tagline – it’s our compass. What does that mean in practice? Our Head of Strategy, Jordan McDowell, sat down with BrandLife to share how McCann Manchester approaches brand strategy: ✨ Chasing truths, not trends ✨ Balancing heritage with innovation ✨ Building clarity and creativity into every brief From Aldi to L’Oréal to Matalan, Jordan explores what it takes for brands to thrive in a world that moves fast but values what lasts. His advice is simple but powerful: don’t get swept up by what’s fleeting. Anchor yourself in what’s enduring. 👉 Read the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/ejAp8HJ8

𝗜𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿. Investors are no longer swayed by glossy campaigns or surface-level positioning; they are drawn to brands rooted in genuine founder-led stories. The narrative behind a company often signals resilience, vision, and long-term commitment. 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁. It demonstrates conviction, reveals the values that guide decision-making, and communicates why a company exists beyond financial returns. When aligned with strong execution, these stories transform into powerful assets that attract capital and inspire loyalty. 𝗔𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵. #Branding #FounderLed #Authenticity #VentureCapital #GrowthStrategy

Lots of brands want to scale, but few are ready (or know how) to protect what matters most as they grow. Growth puts pressure on everything: your culture, your clarity, your identity. If you don’t have a clear understanding of what makes you distinct, it starts to slip away. 'Innocent Drinks' is a good example. They built their reputation on honesty, humour and values. Customers didn’t just like the product; they connected with the brand. When Coca-Cola took majority ownership between 2009 and 2013, the business kept expanding. But something shifted: 👉 Ethical Consumer dropped their brand rating by nearly 50% after the acquisition. 👉 A consumer study found that trust in the brand fell from 51% to just 25% when people became aware of the ownership change. 👉 Activists began calling out the brand for greenwashing, and the tone that once felt charming started to feel corporate. Now, this doesn’t mean Innocent collapsed. But it does show how fragile brand trust and emotional connection can be (especially when growth starts pulling you away from the things people loved you for). When you're scaling, you don’t just need a bigger budget. You need a stronger foundation, one built on who you are and why it matters.

Two founders built one of the most iconic mission-driven brands on the planet. And now, decades later, they’re watching that mission get silenced, not by critics, but by the very people who bought it, Unilever. This isn’t a failure of vision. It’s a failure of structure. Ben & Jerry's thought they could keep their soul after handing over the keys. To everyone who’s ever said “we’re here to make a difference.” Here’s what “difference” actually requires: Ownership models that protect the mission from investor override Board structures that can’t erase your voice during controversy Acquisition terms that secure creative control, not just cash Incentive systems that reward coherence, not compromise If you haven’t built for those? You're not leading a movement. You're running a vibes-based brand with a 3–5 year half-life. What we need now isn’t more purpose-led marketing. We need purpose-protected businesses. Ben & Jerry’s was a litmus test. They failed. Don’t follow them off the same cliff. Don’t just protect the brand. Protect what made the brand matter in the first place.