The Power of Experience: Why Wisdom Wins in Branding, Marketing, and Design
Over the past 40 years, we’ve seen a profound shift in the world of marketing, from a culture that respected deep knowledge and experience to one that disregards expertise in favour of an “instant coffee rush”.
Speed has replaced substance. Flash has replaced foundation. And in too many boardrooms, "new" is mistaken for "better."
But here’s the truth: the brands that endure, inspire, and lead aren’t built on novelty alone. They’re forged in the furnace of experience and guided by leaders who’ve seen market cycles turn, fads rise and fall, and know when to push forward or pull back.
The Rise of the Mushy Middle
The Mushy Middle is where good ideas go to die. It’s where strategy is watered down to avoid offending anyone, creative work is stripped of risk, and decision-making is driven by fear of failure instead of vision for success.
It’s the space where:
Campaigns sound like they were written by a committee.
Products try to be everything to everyone.
Brands follow trends instead of setting them.
The result? Predictable. Forgettable. Replaceable.
And the trap is easy to fall into, especially in an age where metrics are immediate but meaning is slow to develop. Many organisations chase the dopamine hit of quick wins, leaving no room for the compounding value of long-term brand equity.
What the Great Brands Know
The world’s most iconic brands, from luxury houses to innovation leaders, share a simple truth: they use experience as a competitive weapon.
They don’t confuse the noise of the moment with the voice of the customer.
They understand that branding, marketing, and design are not line items; they are the architecture of the organisation’s future.
They:
Commit to clarity of vision. Every decision is a reflection of a singular, unwavering brand idea.
Favour depth over speed. Trends are tools, not crutches.
Empower experienced talent. They know wisdom accelerates innovation, not slows it down.
Guard against mediocrity. Every touchpoint must pass the “distinctive and ownable” test.
Breaking Free from the Middle
Escaping the Mushy Middle demands bravery at the top. It starts with the CEO making a public, cultural commitment to boldness.
Here’s what that shift looks like:
From pleasing everyone → To leading someone.
From chasing every market → To owning one clear space.
From quarterly thinking → To generational thinking.
It means trusting people who have walked the path before. The people who can spot the traps you don’t see, because they’ve fallen into them and climbed out again. It’s not about nostalgia; it’s about avoiding the mistakes that the new guard has yet to learn.
The CEO’s Advantage
The CEO who recognises this wins two major advantages:
Organisational alignment — when everyone understands the brand’s purpose and lives it.
Brand defensibility — when the brand’s value cannot be undercut by the next low-cost imitator.
In short, your experience, paired with the right creative and strategic partners, becomes your moat. Competitors may copy your features, but they can’t duplicate your DNA.
Final Word
If your brand feels safe, it’s already in danger. If your marketing sounds like everyone else’s, it’s already invisible.
The time to step out of the Mushy Middle is now — before the market decides for you.
Because in branding, marketing, and design…
Wisdom doesn’t just win. It endures.