Every few months, another beloved brand “modernises”—and forgets that heritage isn’t a problem to solve. It’s an unfair advantage waiting to be re-energised. When done with care. Learn why protecting values beats preserving versions, and how to turn heritage into a flexible system that grows with culture.
Crocs were mocked as the world’s ugliest shoe and ranked alongside asbestos as one of TIME’s worst inventions. Instead of redesigning, they doubled down on what made them different. The result? $4 billion in revenue by turning polarisation into power and giving fans permission to make the product their own.
Brands with less than 2% market share captured 39% of all incremental category growth in 2024. Up from 17% in 2023 and just 6% in 2022, according to Bain’s research into 120 insurgent brands.
The question isn’t what these brands are doing differently. It’s how they’re making decisions.
