Most brands don't die because their products are bad. They die because they become irrelevant. Trends move fast. Consumer behaviors shift. Entire industries get disrupted. If you want your brand to still matter in 10 years, you need to do more than create a good product - you need to build a business that evolves, adapts, and cements itself as indispensable in your customers' lives. But before we get into the fun parts of brand building - culture, community, ecosystem - you need to make sure your business has the financial foundation to sustain itself. No brand survives on hype alone.
Here's how to build a brand that stands the test of time.
1. Get Your Business Fundamentals Right First
Let's be real: No brand can survive without financial sustainability.
Before you focus on building culture, community, or a brand universe, you need to make sure your business itself is profitable enough to sustain those things. Otherwise, you're just burning cash on marketing without a foundation to support it.
Start with the fundamentals of financial health:
- Strong unit economics - Ensure you're making money with each sale, not relying on volume to cover losses.
- Profitability, not just growth - Scale is important, but profitability is what keeps you in the game long-term.
- Efficient cost structure - Keep customer acquisition costs (CAC) sustainable relative to your customer lifetime value (CLV)
The mistake many brands make? They start by focusing on aesthetics and storytelling before locking in their financial model. But if your unit economics are broken, all the culture and marketing in the world won't save you.
Too many brands chase trends without a strong business. They go viral, raise funding, scale too fast, and then crash. The ones that last? They build for longevity, not just momentum.
Once you've nailed the business mechanics, you have the financial foundation to invest in all the other brand-building elements - culture, storytelling, community, and expansion.
2. Create a Culture, Not Just a Customer Base
The most enduring brands don't just sell products - they shape culture. They become symbols of something bigger than what they sell. Jacquemus, for example, is more than a fashion brand - it embodies the dream of effortless, sun-drenched Mediterranean luxury. Its storytelling, visual identity, and experiential retail strategy make it aspirational.
Take Carhartt WIP. It transformed a functional workwear brand into a streetwear icon by embedding itself in music, skate, and underground subcultures. It didn't just market to new audiences - it became part of their world while keeping its authenticity intact.
Similarly, Our Place isn't just selling cookware - it's selling a philosophy around home, gathering, and cultural traditions. The Always Pan wasn't just marketed as a product; it was positioned as an essential part of a modern, cozy, and intentional lifestyle.
- Draw from real-world inspiration - Identify five defining influences for your brand. It could be a place, a type of music, a movie, an artist, or a subculture.
- Make your brand a lifestyle - Think beyond transactions. How can your brand fit into your customers' daily lives?
- Encourage community identity - People should feel like they belong to something when they buy from you.
The difference between a brand and a cultural force? People talk about cultural forces, even when they're not actively buying.
3. Expand Beyond Products - Create a Brand Ecosystem
The brands that endure aren't just selling things - they're creating a universe that keeps customers engaged long-term.
Take Apple. It started with computers, but its real power lies in its ecosystem - hardware, software, services, and a frictionless user experience that keeps people locked in.
Similarly, Nike isn't just about sneakers; it has apps, training programs, collaborations, and events that reinforce its brand identity beyond the product itself.
Look at KITH. It started as a sneaker boutique, but it didn't stop at retail. It created an entire ecosystem of collaborations (from BMW to Coca-Cola), limited-edition releases, and immersive in-store experiences that made shopping at KITH feel like entering a cultural hub, not just a
Store.
The lesson? Your product should be the entry point, not the entire brand experience.
- Create services or experiences that complement your products - (e.g., skincare brands offering virtual consultations, fitness brands offering digital workouts).
- Build community-driven initiatives - (e.g., Soho House's membership model, Carhartt WIP's
- Explore media and content as part of your brand experience - (e.g., MSCHF's viral marketing, Aime Leon Dore's short films).
If your brand disappeared tomorrow, would customers still feel like something is missing? The ones that last make themselves irreplaceable in their customers' lives.
4. Stay Adaptable - Your Brand Should Evolve with Your Customers
Brands that fail usually don't see the end coming. They get stuck in their ways, assuming that what worked before will always work.
Kodak is the textbook example. It dominated film photography but refused to adapt to digital, even though it was the one that invented the first digital camera. By the time it tried to pivot, it was too late.
Contrast that with Netflix. It started as a DVD rental company, but when it saw consumer behavior shifting, it completely reinvented itself - first as a streaming service, then as a content powerhouse.
Aime Leon Dore mastered the art of evolution. It started as a small, cult streetwear brand, then strategically expanded into luxury-adjacent territory - without alienating its core audience. Every collaboration (Porsche, New Balance, Woolrich) feels like a natural progression, not a departure.
The takeaway? If you want to last, you need to build adaptability into your DNA.
- Stay close to your customers - Listen to shifting preferences, emerging behaviors, and industry trends.
- Be willing to pivot - Don't let legacy success keep you from making bold moves.
- Test and iterate - Brands that remain relevant are always experimenting, learning, and evolving.
What worked for you yesterday won't necessarily work tomorrow. Future-proofing your brand means staying agile, not rigid.
5. Diversify Revenue Streams - Don't Rely on One Playbook
If the past few years have taught us anything, it's that putting all your eggs in one basket is dangerous.
COVID-19 wiped out brands that were overly reliant on a single revenue stream - whether it was brick-and-mortar retail, a single sales channel, or one high-margin product. The ones that survived had built-in resilience through diversification.
A perfect example? Ghia, the non-alcoholic aperitif brand. Instead of relying solely on DTC, it smartly expanded into high-end restaurants, design-forward retail stores, and experiential activations, ensuring it wasn't just another e-commerce beverage company.
Ways to create long-term financial stability:
- Omnichannel presence - Don't rely solely on DTC or retail - build a healthy mix of sales channels.
- Subscription or membership models - Your products become part of customers' daily lives, keeping them engaged and making it harder for them to walk away.
- Experiences, licensing, or digital offerings - Think beyond products - how can your brand monetize access, content, or community?
If your business is only built to survive in good times, it won't last in bad ones. Longevity comes from financial adaptability.
Final Thoughts
Building a brand that lasts isn't about chasing trends or launching one good product. It's about building adaptability, creating culture, expanding your brand universe, and ensuring financial resilience.
But before you invest in storytelling, community, and ecosystem-building, make sure your business itself is financially strong.
If you want your brand to still matter in 10 years:
- Get the business fundamentals right - Profitability matters.
- Think beyond the product - Build an ecosystem.
- Stay flexible - The world changes, your brand should too.
- Protect your revenue streams - One playbook won't always work.
The goal isn't just to be relevant today. It's to future-proof your brand for whatever comes next.
Anya Evans is the founder of Venture Muse Club, where she creates content to help investors and operators find, fund, and build brands that actually matter. With a background in VC and family office investments, she’s worked closely with early-stage consumer businesses and understands what it takes to build something with staying power. These days, she’s focused on building tools, resources, and community for people who want to create brands that stand the test of time.
Connect with her on LinkedIn.