aj on brand

when people start talking about disruption, my mind can’t help but look at what, if anything, is actually changing. 

every brand will come up against the hard edge of the new at some point, because our world is changing, in almost every way. and rapidly.

which is why, three years ago i wrote “in order to survive, let alone succeed, brands must be able to adapt, to accelerate through the turns.”

i have long been a proponent of adaptability as a means of not just surviving, but thriving.

but adaptable does not mean chameleon-like. it means responsive. agile. able to pivot when the success of the play requires it. the interesting thing about a pivot is that, while it can represent a total about-face, it’s often just a tactical shift, with no real objective or vision shift.

the big pivots that are capturing my curiosity are happening within the auto industry. car makers are still car makers, but they’re pivoting on the kinds of engines they manufacture as they look towards an all electric future.

and things like rideshare and car memberships will require a big pivot in their distribution models. exciting.

and then there’s AI. if the proliferation of transportation startups is a sign that we’re entering a new era, then hold onto your hats.