In our data-obsessed marketplace, brands will analyze every click, impression, and conversion, but often miss one thing that actually sticks…how people feel about them. Mindshare – the space a brand occupies in consumers’ hearts and minds – isn’t easy to measure, but it's the common thread behind the brands that last. The strongest ones don’t just sell products or push campaigns; they build an emotional connection that pulls people in again and again. This is what I call the hook.
Take Nike. Just Do It is more than a tagline – it’s the inescapable pull of an idea that transcends advertising, embedding itself in culture for nearly four decades. It’s bigger than a slogan on a shoe box. It’s an irresistible hook that taps a deeper desire for self-betterment and achievement. And in a true return to form, Nike’s first Super Bowl commercial since 1998 this year did what the brand does best. By putting women athletes center stage at a male-dominated event, Nike delivers a timely reminder that brands have a choice: they can and should stand for something.
Brands that operate solely in the “what” and “how” don’t last. Saab and Kodak serve as stark lessons: when identity starts and ends with a product or service, it’s only a matter of time before the ice cracks beneath you.
Yet in an industry addicted to momentary engagement, CMOs often overlook what’s less immediately tangible but fundamental to lasting success: a memorable brand hook – a single, powerful idea that gives creative work meaning, coherence, and staying power.
What is a brand hook (and why should you care)?
A brand hook is more than a tagline. It’s the essence of a brand, distilled into its most resonant form – a strategic throughline that shapes everything from marketing and product roadmaps to customer experience and corporate culture.
Unlike campaigns which evolve over time to catch the prevailing winds of tastes and trends, a brand hook is built to last. It serves as a fixed beacon, ensuring that while creative execution may change, the brand’s purpose and promise remain unmistakable.
Without one, you might grab short-term attention – but long-term loyalty will remain elusive. Many brands struggle here not because they lack creativity, but because they lack clarity. It’s all too easy to fall into one of these traps:
- Overcomplicating it: Trying to say too much leads to bland or confusing messaging. If your hook doesn’t pass the cocktail party test, it’s not working. Simplicity is power.
- Focusing on the “how”: Consumers don’t connect with how you do things – they connect with why you do them. Compare "we make shoes" to "we’re empowering athletes." Big difference.
- Playing it safe: A cautious hook is a forgettable hook. Lack of boldness often leads to ideas that don’t stand out.
Emotional connection is the competitive edge
Great hooks don’t just explain a brand – they elicit an emotional response. That’s by design, not luck. A well-crafted hook is a spell, creating a narrative that keeps customers captivated and builds enduring brand love.
Take Apple. Its success isn’t just about market innovation or competitive pricing. The brand fulfills a promise: to challenge the status quo in everything it does. That’s an emotional contract, not just a business model. An invitation for the ones who, according to Apple’s hook, think different.
Or look at Philo, a challenger streaming service. Its hook – A Better Way to TV – isn’t cluttered with industry jargon. It’s clear, compelling, and customer-first, reinforcing what sets it apart in a crowded market with an enduring guarantee.
The best hooks are flexible enough to evolve with cultural and business shifts, yet also distinctive enough to be ownable and defensible. They are elastic enough to be endlessly unpackable, unlocking deeper meaning for customers, creatives and internal teams over time.
Finding and owning the hook
Every brand has the potential to find its Just Do It – but only if it invests in asking the right questions:
- What makes you special? Your goals, ambitions, and values are the foundation.
- What makes you different? Identify the need only your brand can fill.
- What makes you compelling? Why should people lean in, in a world full of noise?
A great hook doesn’t try to say everything – it crystallizes everything it represents into one meaningful, memorable, ownable idea. And then, critically, it connects that idea to everything the brand says and does.
It’s not optional
Creative trends come and go, but a powerful brand hook is forever. The best brands don’t just explain what they do or how they’re good at it – they show you why they matter.
Without a hook, you’re spending marketing dollars without a beacon. With one, you’re creating more than ads. You’re building an enduring brand narrative that drives everything forward.
Bo Bishop is an Emmy-winning brand strategist, creative director, and writer who brings over 15 years’ experience to his role of Executive Director, Creative Strategy at brand studio and production company Sibling Rivalry. He’s crafted strategies and campaigns for some of the world’s most inventive and culturally impactful brands including Apple, Marvel, Disney, The New York Rangers, and Amazon Prime Video. Fueled by the interplay between thinking and making, Bo’s happy when he gets to combine logic with left-field creativity to make something intuitive, powerful, and surprising.
In our data-obsessed marketplace, brands will analyze every click, impression, and conversion, but often miss one thing that actually sticks…how people feel about them. Mindshare – the space a brand occupies in consumers’ hearts and minds – isn’t easy to measure, but it's the common thread behind the brands that last. The strongest ones don’t just sell products or push campaigns; they build an emotional connection that pulls people in again and again. This is what I call the hook.
Take Nike. Just Do It is more than a tagline – it’s the inescapable pull of an idea that transcends advertising, embedding itself in culture for nearly four decades. It’s bigger than a slogan on a shoe box. It’s an irresistible hook that taps a deeper desire for self-betterment and achievement. And in a true return to form, Nike’s first Super Bowl commercial since 1998 this year did what the brand does best. By putting women athletes center stage at a male-dominated event, Nike delivers a timely reminder that brands have a choice: they can and should stand for something.
Brands that operate solely in the “what” and “how” don’t last. Saab and Kodak serve as stark lessons: when identity starts and ends with a product or service, it’s only a matter of time before the ice cracks beneath you.
Yet in an industry addicted to momentary engagement, CMOs often overlook what’s less immediately tangible but fundamental to lasting success: a memorable brand hook – a single, powerful idea that gives creative work meaning, coherence, and staying power.
What is a brand hook (and why should you care)?
A brand hook is more than a tagline. It’s the essence of a brand, distilled into its most resonant form – a strategic throughline that shapes everything from marketing and product roadmaps to customer experience and corporate culture.
Unlike campaigns which evolve over time to catch the prevailing winds of tastes and trends, a brand hook is built to last. It serves as a fixed beacon, ensuring that while creative execution may change, the brand’s purpose and promise remain unmistakable.
Without one, you might grab short-term attention – but long-term loyalty will remain elusive. Many brands struggle here not because they lack creativity, but because they lack clarity. It’s all too easy to fall into one of these traps:
- Overcomplicating it: Trying to say too much leads to bland or confusing messaging. If your hook doesn’t pass the cocktail party test, it’s not working. Simplicity is power.
- Focusing on the “how”: Consumers don’t connect with how you do things – they connect with why you do them. Compare "we make shoes" to "we’re empowering athletes." Big difference.
- Playing it safe: A cautious hook is a forgettable hook. Lack of boldness often leads to ideas that don’t stand out.
Emotional connection is the competitive edge
Great hooks don’t just explain a brand – they elicit an emotional response. That’s by design, not luck. A well-crafted hook is a spell, creating a narrative that keeps customers captivated and builds enduring brand love.
Take Apple. Its success isn’t just about market innovation or competitive pricing. The brand fulfills a promise: to challenge the status quo in everything it does. That’s an emotional contract, not just a business model. An invitation for the ones who, according to Apple’s hook, think different.
Or look at Philo, a challenger streaming service. Its hook – A Better Way to TV – isn’t cluttered with industry jargon. It’s clear, compelling, and customer-first, reinforcing what sets it apart in a crowded market with an enduring guarantee.
The best hooks are flexible enough to evolve with cultural and business shifts, yet also distinctive enough to be ownable and defensible. They are elastic enough to be endlessly unpackable, unlocking deeper meaning for customers, creatives and internal teams over time.
Finding and owning the hook
Every brand has the potential to find its Just Do It – but only if it invests in asking the right questions:
- What makes you special? Your goals, ambitions, and values are the foundation.
- What makes you different? Identify the need only your brand can fill.
- What makes you compelling? Why should people lean in, in a world full of noise?
A great hook doesn’t try to say everything – it crystallizes everything it represents into one meaningful, memorable, ownable idea. And then, critically, it connects that idea to everything the brand says and does.
It’s not optional
Creative trends come and go, but a powerful brand hook is forever. The best brands don’t just explain what they do or how they’re good at it – they show you why they matter.
Without a hook, you’re spending marketing dollars without a beacon. With one, you’re creating more than ads. You’re building an enduring brand narrative that drives everything forward.
Bo Bishop is an Emmy-winning brand strategist, creative director, and writer who brings over 15 years’ experience to his role of Executive Director, Creative Strategy at brand studio and production company Sibling Rivalry. He’s crafted strategies and campaigns for some of the world’s most inventive and culturally impactful brands including Apple, Marvel, Disney, The New York Rangers, and Amazon Prime Video. Fueled by the interplay between thinking and making, Bo’s happy when he gets to combine logic with left-field creativity to make something intuitive, powerful, and surprising.
Further Reading
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