A brand's history is a valuable asset. The most powerful ideas for future growth are often rooted in the brand's 'archaeology.' Reviving timeless concepts, like the Pepsi Taste Challenge, and making them culturally relevant today is often more effective than chasing novelty.

To connect with Gen Z, Coach shifted its brand positioning from simply being an affordable luxury good to being a tool for self-expression. This move addresses a core tension for this generation: the desire to express their true selves while navigating the pressures of constant social media visibility.

Nutter Butter, a 55-year-old brand, successfully engaged a younger audience by embracing absurdist, meme-style humor. This risky strategy, while potentially alienating some, is effective for generating deep brand love because it requires taking a bold, creative stand.

Enduring 'stay-up' brands don't need to fundamentally reinvent their core product. Instead, they should focus on creating opportunities for consumers to 'reappraise' the brand in a current context. The goal is to make the familiar feel fresh and relevant again, connecting it to modern culture.

The generation most immersed in digital life is developing a powerful nostalgia for a pre-internet world they've only seen in media. This drives trends like 'digital defiance' and an appreciation for analog products. Brands can tap into this by offering experiences that feel authentic and non-digital.

To avoid an inconsistent, 'all over the place' approach, companies must establish a common brand-building philosophy or framework. This shared point of view, like Molson Coors's MUSCLE framework, ensures organizational alignment and helps build a cohesive marketing culture.

While Gen Z is overrepresented in ads, data shows that when they see themselves portrayed, ad effectiveness scores drop significantly. Common stereotypes of being tech-obsessed, awkward, or only in competitive situations alienate them. Intergenerational stories and portrayals of kindness perform better.

Contrary to headlines, Gen Z's drinking habits are nuanced, not absent. Consumption is delayed by later workforce entry. In-the-workforce Gen Z drinks similarly to prior generations but practices 'zebra striping'—alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for more conscious consumption.

Gen Z consumers curate different personas across various social channels (e.g., TikTok vs. LinkedIn), making brand positioning exponentially more complex. A brand's purpose must serve as a connective tissue, agile enough to be tweaked for different channel-specific identities while maintaining a core consistency.