In the world of branding, there is an insidious trap that many personal and corporate brands fall into: trying too hard to be the "good guy." On the surface, this seems like the right move—after all, who doesn’t want to be perceived as ethical, responsible, and likeable? But when a brand is built on a notion of goodness, authenticity must be fulfilled as a necessary dimension. Sometimes, a more transactional relationship with the audience is the better strategic choice.
Your brand is a relationship
At its core, a brand—especially a personal brand—is a relationship with an audience. And like all relationships, it must be deliberately built, nurtured, and defined on specific terms. The question is: what kind of relationship are you building?
The research on consumer relationships with brands and its influence on brand performance show that the brand-consumer relationships range from purely transactional to deeply emotional and even identity-defining.
My model of brand relationships identifies four levels of depth, each representing a distinct way of connecting with an audience:
attention: at this level, the brand is just a name in a crowded space. It competes on visibility, availability, and, often, price. Platforms like Fiverr illustrate this: freelancers who don’t differentiate themselves end up competing in a race to the bottom (of low prices), fighting for attention without a sustainable value proposition. At this level, success depends on offering low prices and ensuring a seamless, frictionless purchasing experience. Some mass product brands are very successful and profitable at this level. Bic thrives on affordability and distribution, for instance.
affection: brands at this level are chosen because they solve a problem better than others. The relationship is still largely transactional, but differentiation plays a role. At this level, success hinges on standing out in the eyes of your audience through innovation, exceptional quality, and other differentiating aspects of your offering. To succeed at this level, your competitive advantage must be strong enough to sustain long-term returns on investment.
appreciation: this is where trust and emotional resonance begin. The brand is not just a provider of value; it establishes an emotional bond that enhances brand performance. You can enjoy additional competitive advantages, but you must be able to nurture the relationship.
acceptance: the highest level, where the brand is no longer just respected or appreciated but internalized as part of the audience’s identity. Thought leaders, charismatic figures and activist personal brands abide this level. This is not a land of the few, though. You can choose to establish a relationship with your public at this level if a substantial part of your value proposition is based on values and a clear world view.
the problem with being "just good"
Choose the relationship considering the nature of the value delivered to the public. If the nature of your offering is a commodity, then establish the relationship at the attention level and use price and visibility as keys to success. If, at the other end of the range, your offering is of high enough quality and your identity-related attributes are strong, then abide in the acceptance level—but remember that you cannot be there if you do not also resolve problems.
A brand that is "just good" risks the following:
blandness: if your positioning is generic, people won’t remember why they should care about you.
commoditization: if your audience doesn't form an emotional or strategic connection with you, they will treat you as interchangeable.
inability to command loyalty: trust and affect drive brand loyalty, which in turn leads to sustainable performance. If your audience doesn't know how to relate to you, they won’t stick around.
In branding, as in life, relationships define us. The question is not whether your brand is good or not—it’s whether it knows what kind of relationship it’s supposed to be building.
Stop being a "good-guy brand." Be a brand with a clear relationship strategy.
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