Josh Pears

06/12/2026

Even The Good Die Jung

Every brand has a shadow self, the version of itself it refuses to acknowledge. Carl Jung called it the shadow. Most brand crises are just the shadow finally showing up uninvited....

Every brand has a shadow self, the version of itself it refuses to acknowledge. Carl Jung called it the shadow. Most brand crises are just the shadow finally sh

06/11/2026

You’re Playing Someone Else’s Game

Most brands compete in categories they will never win. Category creators capture 74% of market growth. Here is how to stop competing and start creating a category you own....

Most brands compete in categories they will never win. Category creators capture 74% of market growth. Here is how to stop competing and start creating a catego

06/10/2026

A Tale Of Two Faces: AI Is Wearing Your Brand’s Face, It’s Also Deciding If Your Brand Gets Chosen.

AI has become both your brand’s greatest impersonator and its newest gatekeeper. While bad actors use generative AI to create convincing fakes that erode customer trust, AI shopping assistants and answer engines are simultaneously deciding whether your brand gets recommended at all. The solution isn’t just better SEO. It’s building a brand so clear, structured, and authentic that machines can recognize it as legitimate and customers can’t mistake it for anything else....

AI has become both your brand’s greatest impersonator and its newest gatekeeper. While bad actors use generative AI to create convincing fakes that erode custom

06/09/2026

This Is What Happens When a Brand Loses Itself

Once, maybe a brand could just have a name, make a good product, and let the product do the talking. Then came the logo. Then the website. Then the social media presence. Then the content strategy. Then the refresh. Then the purpose statement. Then the AI strategy. Then the rebrand. Somewhere in all of that, the brand forgot what it was supposed to mean....

Once, maybe a brand could just have a name, make a good product, and let the product do the talking. Then came the logo. Then the website. Then the social media

06/08/2026

Your Logo Is Not Your Brand. Please, I’m Begging You.

The Romans stole their gods from the Greeks. The church stole its symbols from the pagans. Halloween is Samhain with a costume change. Nike paid a design student $35 for a swoosh she sketched on tissue paper in 1971 and Phil Knight did not even like it. Meaning has never been created from nothing — it is always inherited, reframed, or built from scratch through decades of consistent behavior. Your logo works exactly the same way. The problem is most brands never build the thing underneath it....

The Romans stole their gods from the Greeks. The church stole its symbols from the pagans. Halloween is Samhain with a costume change. Nike paid a design studen

06/05/2026

Canva: 265 Million Users, 0 Brand Strategies

Canva has 265 million users. Let that number sink in. 265 million people, all opening the same app, browsing the same template library, dragging the same elements onto the same grid, changing the font to something they think is theirs, and publishing the result as their brand identity. 265 million people who have collectively decided that brand strategy is something that happens automatically the moment you pick a color palette....

06/03/2026

Victoria’s Secret Forgot It Sold Underwear

Victoria's Secret experienced a significant comeback after struggling with a misguided rebranding that alienated its core customers while failing to attract new ones. New CEO Hillary Super restored the brand's identity by emphasizing authenticity and inclusivity, leading to increased sales and a stock revival, proving that genuine brand values are essential for success....

Victoria's Secret experienced a significant comeback after struggling with a misguided rebranding that alienated its core customers while failing to attract new

06/02/2026

Jaguar Deleted Itself and Called It Bold

The Jaguar rebrand initiated on November 19, 2024, is criticized for misunderstanding evolution and alienating its loyal customers. The company's drastic changes, like deleting its social history and logo, led to plummeting sales and sparked public ridicule. The lesson emphasizes the importance of respecting brand heritage while evolving....

The Jaguar rebrand initiated on November 19, 2024, is criticized for misunderstanding evolution and alienating its loyal customers. The company's drastic change

06/01/2026

Your Brand Looks Expensive and Says Absolutely Nothing

You will find muted beige, a single serif, soft gradients that go nowhere, slow-motion lifestyle shots of someone holding a coffee cup near a window, and copy that sounds like a mood rather than a message. "Elevated." "Timeless." "Crafted for modern living." "Designed for you." Now scroll to the next one. You will find the same palette, the same font, the same copy, the same window, and a different logo....