How brands grow.
Next up in our Mark Ritson inspired series is Professor Byron Sharp, possibly best known for How Brands Grow. His research at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute looked at how brands actually grow. Not how we think they should grow, or how we'd like them to grow. How they actually grow.
Here's Professor Sharp's huge insight: successful brands reach everyone in the category, not just their "ideal customers." What he means is, just because you buy Coca-Cola, you're not a Coke person. You're someone who wanted a soft drink in that moment. Next week, you might buy Pepsi. The week after, maybe Sprite.
Now, you may consider yourself a loyal Coke drinker (I know I do) but Professor Sharp's bigger point isn't that loyalty doesn't exist. It's that most of any brand's sales come from people who aren't like you. The majority of Coke's revenue comes from people who buy it occasionally, not from devoted Coke lovers who choose it every time.
Put simply, there aren't enough people like you to sustain Coca-Cola's global business. They need the casual buyers, the switchers, the people who just want something cold and sweet in that moment.
Professor Sharp proved that obsessing over loyal customers and precise targeting actually limits growth. The brands that win are the ones that are:
1. Easy to think of (mental availability)
2. Easy to buy (physical availability)
3. Distinctively recognisable across all touchpoints
This connects directly to what System1 just proved with their research. When they talk about emotional reach and distinctive brand codes working better than narrow targeting, that's Professor Sharp's principles validated by real-time data.
What this means for creative:
Stop trying to be relevant to narrow audiences. Start trying to be memorable to everyone who might need you someday. Professor Sharp's research shows that broad, consistent, distinctive presence beats precise targeting every time. Or as David Abbott put it: "Shit that arrives at the speed of light is still shit."
In other words, perfectly targeted advertising is worthless if people don't remember your brand or if your creative doesn't make them feel anything. The brands that grow aren't the ones with the most loyal customers. They're the ones that are easiest to choose when choosing time comes.
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