The Fort

#374 - Krish Menon - Founder @ Angry Gods - How The World’s Most Iconic Brands Are Built

Jan 13, 2025

Krish Menon, the Founder and CEO of Angry Gods, has played a pivotal role in crafting iconic brands like the iMac and Vitaminwater. He discusses how powerful storytelling fosters emotional connections with consumers and the crucial differences between building a business and a brand. Krish reveals the '1-9-90' framework in influencer marketing, emphasizing the importance of personal branding seen in figures like Elon Musk and Warren Buffett. He also shares insights on common branding mistakes and how strategic decisions can elevate a brand beyond the competition.

01:09:07

Episode guests

Krish Menon

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Building a successful brand requires emotional connections that foster consumer loyalty, protecting the brand during challenges to product performance.

Understanding the significance of brand names is crucial, as they can profoundly influence perceptions and associations over time.

The 'one, nine, ninety' model highlights the power of influencers in shaping brand narratives and engaging audiences through digital platforms.

Deep dives

The Difference Between Great Companies and Great Brands

Building a great company differs significantly from building a great brand. A great company focuses on operational success, driving revenue, and delivering value to investors through strong transactional work. In contrast, a great brand cultivates lasting connections that enhance its value over time, regardless of business fluctuations. This sustained loyalty allows brands to endure minor setbacks in product performance, as consumer attachment to the brand itself provides a buffer against indifference.

Intro

2min

The Art of Storytelling in Marketing

2min

The Essence of Branding

22min

The Power of Influence and Personal Branding

13min

Building a Cohesive Brand Identity

24min

Revolutionizing Women's Vitamins: The Ritual Approach

2min

Branding Principles: Actions Over Advertising

4min

Krish is the Founder and CEO of Angry Gods, a strategy and creative consultancy. He has been involved in some of the most iconic brand stories of the past two decades, including the launch of the iMac, the resurrection of Adidas Originals, the explosion of Vitaminwater, American Express, and the rebrand of Virgin Galactic.

As a partner at Culture, a next-generation venture incubator, Krish helps the world’s most popular influencers and personalities build efficient business empires from their passion and reach.

Krish recently co-founded Alter, where they believe the coaching, health innovations, and technology available only to professional athletes and the 1% should be accessible to all.

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Topics

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:03:39) - What is a brand?

(00:08:22) - What happens in our brains when we react to a brand?

(00:15:34) - Influencer marketing fragility

(00:17:21) - Where do people get branding wrong?

(00:21:14) - Who should weigh in on brand design?

(00:25:18) - The 1-9-90 concept

(00:28:37) - Elon vs. Buffet

(00:31:30) - CEO Branding + Mark Zuckerberg