Is it true that... "brand" is just spin?

The concept of “brand” often sparks intense debate - hence it’s usually referred to with quote marks. But is it fair to frame it as simply being a vanity project - spin? Or does it create actual value?

In this post, I’m exploring insights from industry leaders like Nick Jones, founder of Soho House, and a CEO of a sports brand. If you’re expecting a united perspective, you’ll be disappointed! They both operate businesses of similar value - $1.2 billion - but they have very different perspectives on the concept of brand, and how it relates to building a community.

The debate: Is “brand” just spin?

The question “is brand just spin?” has been debated by marketers and business leaders for years. On one hand, you have leaders such as Nick Jones arguing that you cannot manufacture a community by just rallying people around a word on a wall and calling them “a community.”

This perspective emphasises the need for genuine connections between a brand and its audience. Something that brings people together based on how it makes them feel, rather than just how it makes them look.

On the other hand, the CEO of a sports brand contends that brand is an essential element of community-building.

This perspective considers that brand serves as the bridge that connects consumers with shared values and experiences. It’s the filter that attracts a certain person, so you know that other people who gravitate toward the brand will likely share your views, values, and/or characteristics. It’ll help you to find your tribe.

Why brand matters

Nick Jones is right - you can’t manufacture a community. And if the extent of your brand is a logo on a tee shirt, you’re building churn not connections. But when you treat it as the character and personality of your business, it sets the standard for how you operate - how you show up, where you show up.

Brand identity and operational practice are the same decision, not two separate ones. The customer promise and the customer experience either match or they don’t - and when they do, brand becomes a fundamental part of growing and scaling the business.

The role of brand in customer experience

A few years ago, I worked with a retailer that built its brand - and its customer promise - into its operations from the start.

From day one, it focused on delivering against its promise of giving the best service. This meant offering a no quibble returns guarantee, and fast and free delivery - even though the cash could have been put into marketing, or product, or something that could have delivered measured return immediately.

Years later, when the business needed to scale internationally, the team still kept those promises at the heart of its operational rebuild. We moved distribution to a warehouse near the cheapest, fastest international transport links (cheaper was important - it’s how the promise could be delivered at scale), introduced a price-match guarantee, and we made sure that every local site was fully translated by native speakers.

None of those changes happened in isolation, and none of them happened quickly. And that’s the hallmark of a brand that’s used marketing to set its potential and develop its community, and made sure its operations turned it into commercial reality.

Measuring brand success

This is where the biggest focus needs to happen - around brand being measurable, even without it having its own distinct line on the P&L.

Working for the scaling retailer, our “success” was gaining traffic share against our closest competitor, which moved from around 25% to over 30% across the period that we were pushing into more countries. We were really clear on this core metric from the start, as it gave us a real, tracked number.

This is evidence of what brand and operations working as one system actually produces - as a commercial expression.

The bottom line: brand is more than spin

So, is brand just spin? The answer is no - but that comes with caveats.

A brand can be a vanity project if it lacks substance. However, when approached correctly, brand becomes an integral part of the business that attracts customers, retains them, and ultimately contributes to profitability. It sets a standard for business practices and fosters a community around shared values and experiences.

Key takeaways

• Branding is not just about image: Genuine branding builds community and loyalty.

• Brand and operations are one decision, not two: Brand promises only stand-up if operations back it.

• Brand is measurable: Traffic share, retention etc. become proof that your brand is about more than marketing copy.

Conclusion

Brand isn’t the flashy ads, the followers, or the visits. It’s character, conversions, and community - and it shows up everywhere across the customer experience: discovery, unboxing, post-sales support, returns, and ongoing sales. That’s how you test whether it’s vanity, or it’s real.

Want to learn more about effective branding strategies?

Read: How Lululemon built one of the most commercially precise brands in activewear history on a clear vision and bullish energy - and why losing that clarity is proving expensive.

Watch: Is It True That Brand Is Just Spin? | Strong Brand Strong Business This is a short video about this “is brand just spin” debate over on the Strong Brand Strong Business YouTube channel. Hit follow while you’re there!