Building Brand by Exclusion
Why taking risk forges real connection
A new central thesis for brand building is emerging: authenticity requires risk-taking.
Naval Ravikant urges us to recognize that we can “escape competition through authenticity.”1
True authenticity begins by accepting the risk of exclusion.
Authenticity requires a courageous choice to stand for something specific.
Risk-Taking leads directly to Honesty (you can’t hide your intent) which then demands Humanity (you must own your choices).
1. Risk-Taking 🛡️
Your brand cannot be for everyone. Trying to please every palate results in a generic, forgettable product. Authenticity requires a courageous choice to stand for something specific.
Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson note in their book Rework: “Great businesses have a point of view... You need to know what you’re willing to fight for. And then you need to show the world.”
Taking a strong stand attracts your superfans, who will spread the word with a passion no advertising can match.
Fried and Heinemeier Hansson add: “If no one’s upset by what you’re saying, you’re probably not pushing hard enough.”
Example: Ilegal Mezcal achieved authentic differentiation by taking a massive political risk. During the 2016 US election, Ilegal launched a highly public guerrilla campaign. Its core message, “Donald eres un pendejo,” proved its anti-corporate, fearless backbone, earning massive press and galvanizing a loyal base of devotees. By refusing to be neutral, Ilegal secured its niche as a spirit with a genuine, fearless core.
2. Honesty 🔎
Once your brand has taken a position, it must be transparent. 🫥
Your audience, armed with deep skepticism, looks past polished narratives for the real story.2
Embrace the messy process and be ruthlessly transparent about your origin, ingredients, and the why behind your decisions. This openness is the only way to forge the belief and trust that no marketing budget can buy.
Example: Honest Tea (since discontinued by Coca-Cola)3 demonstrated honesty by being transparent about mission conflicts. By publicly fighting to keep “No High Fructose Corn Syrup” on their labels, even against their corporate parent, they proved their values were a non-negotiable principle, reinforcing their brand’s honesty to consumers.
3. Humanity 🧑🤝🧑
Risk is a human endeavor. Corporations don’t have feelings; people do. After taking a risk, a brand must display the human element that owns the choice.
Show vulnerability, celebrate the actual people behind the bottle, and engage in genuine, two-way conversations with your community. This human-scale connection is how you build lasting relationships, proving that the risk was driven by a soul and not a spreadsheet.
Don’t believe me? Spend some time on Reddit and then let’s talk.
This story has a happy ending. When Coca-Cola announced in May 2022 that it was discontinuing the Honest Tea, fonder Seth Goldman was inspired to re-enter the bottled tea market to fill the void left by the popular brand. Goldman and his original co-founder Barry Nalebuff launched Just Ice Tea in September 2022, along with chef Spike Mendelsohn. The new brand is built on the same principles as Honest Tea, focusing on organic and Fair Trade ingredients. And it’s killing it.
Authenticity, calculated risk, courage and creativity. Good topic to write about. Check out www.drinkgfb.com.
I think a strong POV is inherently important to authenticity (and brand building) and a strong POV usually means someone is going to disagree. Better to be loved by some than known by none!