Building Intentional Brands That Last: A Conversation with Katie Dreke
Katie Dreke is a global brand strategy & innovation consultant who has worked with some of the top brands across the globe. She is a master of evaluating brand super powers and weaknesses from both an internal and consumer perspective and pinpointing the strategic moves that will unlock lasting value. Her experience living abroad in Europe, Australia and Asia combined with her innate curiosity in trends in humanity, consumer behavior, art & culture, and technology gives her a truly unique perspective.
Katie has been a long-time “Friend of Consiglieri” and we engage her in thought leadership for our own brand as well as strategic client initiatives. So, let’s throw her in the hot seat and have some fun!
Q&A
In your opinion, what is the biggest driver of brand strategy right now?
Katie: It’s impossible for me to ignore the S word (sustainability) at the moment. It’s an issue confronting all brands, and impacts how they should approach everything across the operating system, from core product offering, real estate, manufacturing and logistics, and yes, communications. Right now we are all collectively living in what is being referred to as a 'polycrisis' – ecosystem change, social issues, economic shifts, all the things – and it's crucial for brands to quickly acknowledge that these shifts are happening, and strategically commit to their role to play somewhere in the mix.
“If you're in marketing, your objective is to connect with people on an emotional level. But if you’re ignoring the real stresses on humans created from all these interconnected issues - it doesn't just feel wrong; it's terribly bad for business and brand.”
And really, the solves reach beyond stated brand values and marketing communications. The true solves reach deep into the entire business model, the executive level decisions being made, and the true impact we're having on product creation – WHAT we make, HOW we make it, and how MUCH we produce and ship into the world. The marketing and comms are mere short-term tactics unless they can become a direct expression of your brand, its intentions and its true impact being felt through actions and behaviors.
What are some common misconceptions you think companies have about brand strategy/positioning work?
Katie: People often think this work is the logo, or the typography. Brand strategy is more about the nature of the beast vs. what the beast looks like on any given day. It’s about its cycles and seasons, its core characteristics and nature, its purpose, and HOW that purpose is realized: through product, experience, content, community, service, etc.
What innovative approaches are brands adopting in response to sustainability challenges?
Katie: I've noticed some really cool stuff happening, mostly within small to mid-sized organizations that have that sweet mixture of progressive momentum and nimble agility. For instance, there's this brand in Sweden, Houdini, that lets you subscribe to their products. A super insightful proposition, for example, if you’re a skier that only intends to hit the slopes a few times a winter. You don't actually own the expensive high-performance gear; you just borrow it and return it. You never feel the burden of ownership, maintenance or end-of-life of the product. And then there's On Running with their Cyclon running shoes. They're built with the idea that you'll never own them, just use them up, send them back, and receive a fresh pair. You keep running and exchanging in an endless loop. It’s a shift from ‘product consumers’ to ‘product users’. It's a wholesale rejection of the consumption model, and a look into the future of what could be our next age of product creation: borrow-ship vs. ownership.
These are big problems we are talking about. How do you get companies to balance the right thing to do right now vs. the right thing to do for the future?
Katie: This is a big one. Often, brands come to me focused on immediate goals, but I try to get them to see the bigger picture. Like, are we making too much of something? How can we ensure our products are durable and will last? What will product consumption and desire in this space look like in 10 years time? It's about addressing the immediate burning needs, while also starting to address longer-term impacts. And imagining a sequenced transition that helps us play the short-game and long-game at the same time.
There are also brands that come to me with bigger existential questions they want to wrestle with. For instance, I had a conversation this year with someone at NASA about the next 1000 years of humanity, which was exceptionally cool. Slightly different, but in an similar long-term thinking vein, I was approached by a team working with the Chicago Bulls, and was asked to lead a ‘Cathedral Building’ future ideation session with their executive team. Their team has the immediate business needs of putting butts in seats and working through labor negotiations, whilst also crafting a meaningful future legacy for an iconic brand – one that can outlive the success of their 90’s championships and leave a mark on the Bulls Brand, the city of Chicago, and the beautiful game of basketball.
How do you attract clients that share your vision?
Katie: I used to be a little quieter about my views on a brand’s impact on society, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve decided to lean in and now I have people reaching out to me with project and advisory assignments who share the same beliefs.
I’ve also been fortunate enough to build a global network of former clients and colleagues that like to refer strategy work to me or bring me into key engagements. They know me and know that I won’t just “respond” to a brief, but I will integrate it from multiple angles to find the rich intersections of consumer, business, and cultural value to address both short-term needs and wield brand power to create greater good.
The biggest mistake I see brands over-rotate on is spending too much time in research trying to prove without a shadow of a doubt what they need to do. The time spent debating or denying these social and environmental issues should instead be committed to testing and piloting solutions to the problems since that is the hard work that is unavoidable. And solutions only emerge from action.
Ultimately, the biggest problems usually have simple, common sense solutions. Simple doesn’t mean easy however. The complexity and struggle of the work will lie in HOW you choose to solve it.
Speaking of legacy, what Katie Dreke legacy do you want to be remembered for?
Katie: I want to be remembered for work I haven’t gotten a chance to do yet. I’d love to take a massive global brand that is WAY over extended in terms of scale and scope, and help it successfully shrink its business footprint whilst reinvesting cost savings into product innovation, quality and brand preciousness.
I want to launch a massive climate tech brand into the US market and make an amazingly powerful solution feel desirable, aspirational, accessible and like a natural next step toward betterment.
I’d relish the opportunity to help a small or mid-sized brand fight the urge and pressure to scale at all costs, and instead maximize their growth through calibrating the business footprint to the optimal size and shape – one that serves their core audience with exquisite mastery, beautifully crafted product, and an innovative commercial model that makes their whole industry jealous.
But mostly, I want to be remembered for HOW I work. The energy I bring to my work. The way I listen and encourage. My ability to cut through the BS and create clarity in the midst of confusion. I want to be remembered for making the work feel like play. I’d love for folks to remember me as someone who made the work better and more joyful.
What advice do you have for young marketers who want to work in brand strategy?
Katie: The most important skill or instinct a brand strategist needs is unbridled curiosity and pattern recognition. Read, explore, ask questions, dig deeper and make connections.
If you find yourself with similar questions and welcome some honest counsel, let’s talk. Visit us at www.consiglieri.co.
