The difference between a good vs a GREAT brand comes down to Utility vs Meaning
By Mikeblack Ā· June 8, 2026 Ā· Curated by George's Blog
The difference between a good vs a GREAT brand comes down to Utility vs Meaning
š„A good brand delivers Utility
Its products deliver a valuable benefit for consumers and are functionally better in some way
Price can be a way of gaining Utility, but that often leads to a race to the bottom that leaves brands vulnerable to private label or copy cats
š„ A great brand delivers Meaning
It connects with the identities, emotions and passion points of a specific cultural group
so much so that people start to see the brand as a cultural code marker ā¦ a way to express to the world that they belong to that group (specialness)
An energy drink is an energy drink but an Alani Nu says I belong to a specific cultural group thatās different than Red Bull or Monster drinkers
A bag is a bag but a Trader Joeās tote says I belong to specific cultural group than sporting a Louis Vuitton
A pair of jeans is a pair of jeans but wearing Gap jeans say I belong to a different cultural group than sporting Leviās
And so on
Brands that create Meaning with a cultural group get more viral advocacy (earned media) and better paid media results because ads are more authentic, relevant and thus more memorable and more likely to convert
Meanining is built by:
Your messaging & creative
The channels where you show up
The partners you partner with
Utility x Meaning x Awareness =
Outsized Growth
This is the economic principle behind why culturally-informed marketing matters
āWhen is the last time your brand audited which cultural groups itās creating Meaning with vs competitors?
āDoes the question ever come up in your segmentation debates, partnership discussions, media planning or brand metric reviews?
āDo you know which cultural groups are strategically important to win for your category?
If no, then youāre losing the Meaning battle and inevitably, you will see the results in your market share some day
A Utility brand without Meaning is just vanilla cream