BrandersFest 2025: Key Insights from Branding Experts Leading Voices

BrandersFest 2025 wasn’t just another conference—it was a call to the originals. The theme “ORIGIN” reflected the event’s mission to help founders, entrepreneurs, and brand strategists return to the foundational elements that make brands matter. With main stage talks, hands-on workshops, and curated networking sessions, the event delivered focused content addressing the specific challenges we face as brand builders.

We want to extend a massive thank you to everyone who not only attended but left us even more inspired than ever.

Josh took the stage in NYC to deliver a presentation on one of our favorite topics: brand identity. With times, consumers, and industries constantly shifting, we at Movetic love creating brands that become movements—so he was asked to speak on exactly that. He broke down how to build multi-dimensional brand identities that transcend traditional marketing and evolve into cultural movements.

Now, lets dive in as we discuss the key takeaways from each branding leader.

One Focus, One Enemy

Laura Ries delivered a masterclass on positioning that cut through the noise with surgical precision. Her central thesis: successful brands focus on a single positioning strategy and define themselves against a clear enemy in the category.

 

Key Takeaways:

• Position against someone and create a category enemy (example: Dude Wipes positioned against traditional toilet paper)
• At first, try create a new category rather than extending existing lines. 
• Never say you’re “better”—if you do that, you’ve already lost. Be different instead.
• The positioning formula: Focus + Enemy
• Ask yourself: “What is our simple idea?”
• Identify problems in different categories and look for the enemies
• Truly stand for something—positioning without conviction is just marketing noise

 

Bottom Line: Pick me because I’m different, not because I’m better. Find your enemy, create your category, and own one simple idea.

Rob broke down naming strategy into five essential factors that separate memorable brands from forgettable ones.

 

The Five Factors:

1. Simplicity – Easy to say, easy to remember
2. Concreteness – Tangible, real, graspable
3. Aliveness – Dynamic and engaging
4. Distinctiveness – Stands apart from competitors
5. Emotion – Creates a feeling or connection

 

Notable Examples:

• Death & Co. (bar in NYC) – demonstrates aliveness and distinctiveness
• Heirloom – captures the inherent value in objects meaningful to you
• Ontra – a name he called out as particularly successful

 

When Names Change: Names typically change for two reasons: legal issues or mergers and acquisitions. Understanding why names change helps us appreciate what makes them stick in the first place.

 

Key Takeaway: Follow the above five factors for naming or renaming your business.

Human Connection Matters

The Cybelle & Marshall session focused on the irreplaceable value of in-person experiences and human connection—both in B2B and B2C contexts.

 

Key Takeaways:

• In-real-life (IRL) experiences create depth that digital can’t replicate
• Attention to detail across all five senses drives memorable brand moments
• Human connection through experiences builds lasting brand equity
• Physical touch points still matter in our digital-first world

Understanding How Consumers Actually See Your Brand

Terri shared her breakthrough research on consumer behavior and the sequence of cognition—how people process brand information differently in-store versus online. As someone who openly discusses her dyslexia, Terri has turned her neurodivergence into a superpower for understanding visual processing.

 

In-Person/Shelf Sequence:

1. Colors
2. Shape
3. Symbols
4. Words

 

Online Sequence:

1. Words
2. Color
3. Symbols
4. Shape

 

Key Takeaway: All shopping happens on autopilot. Your brand needs to work with—not against—these cognitive sequences.

Beyond Visual Identity

Bill reframed how we think about logos entirely: they’re not just visual marks—they’re change management tools. He broke down his key principles in B2B branding. 

 

Key Principles:

• A logo is a change management tool, not just a visual identifier
• Find stewards in-house who will champion the brand
• Only create what the brand can control
• Do what’s right for the brand, not what’s trendy
• Use comparisons throughout the client process to show evolution
• Set clients up for success with tools and systems

 

Key Takeaway: Find someone in-house to own your brand—this is critical for long-term brand health.

Measuring What Matters

Mr. Branding’s session focused on building sustainable brand solutions that companies can actually execute.

 

Core Framework:

• Meaning – Does the brand stand for something?
• Consistency – Can the brand maintain its promise?
• Trust – Do people believe in the brand?

 

Key Takeaways:

• Short-term results matter, but long-term value beats short-term hype
• Brand equity must be measurable
• We are conductors—orchestrating all the elements to create harmony

Stop Blocking the Experience

Joseph, the restaurant industry expert, delivered a powerful reminder that customer experience and branding are inseparable.

 

Key Takeaways:

• Stop blocking customers from great experiences
• Customer experience IS branding—they’re not separate disciplines
• Check out “Bull Hearted” for more on this philosophy
• Technical tip: HSL colors offer more control in design systems

 

Bottom Line: If your CX is broken, your brand is broken. Period.

Strategy, Story, System, Scale

Steven tackled the current state of content and how brands can cut through the noise during what he calls a “content recession.”

 

The Content Flywheel:

1. Strategy – What are you saying and why?
2. Story – How are you saying it?
3. System – How do you create consistently?
4. Scale – How do you amplify?

 

Key Concepts:

• Day trading attention (Gary Vee philosophy)
• The content collapser/online marketplace framework
• Systems allow you to create at scale
• How to strategically repurpose content across channels

 

Key Takeaway: “Attention is rented, trust is owned”—stop chasing views and start building relationships.

The Ralph Lauren Framework

Wendy closed the event with her roadmap for building brands that last, drawing heavily from her experience working with Ralph Lauren.

 

The Roadmap:

1. Define your brand promise
2. Build everything from that foundation
3. Stay true to your origin story

 

Ralph Lauren’s Philosophy: Ralph Lauren famously said, “I have always looked at the business as…” and built an empire by staying true to his vision. Wendy emphasized studying his approach—he has countless quotes worth examining for brand builders.

 

Key Takeaway: Great brands have a clear promise, and they honor it relentlessly. Don’t forget: “Inspire people to fail forward” 

BrandersFest 2025 delivered exactly what it promised: a return to origin.

In a world drowning in content, tactics, and trends, these speakers reminded us of the foundational principles that actually build lasting brands:

• Position with clarity and conviction
• Name with intention
• Design for how people actually see
• Build experiences that matter
• Measure what matters
• Never separate CX from brand
• Create systems that scale
• Define your promise and keep it

If you’re building or rebuilding a brand—whether you’re a founder, strategist, or creative leader—these takeaways aren’t just nice to know. They’re the fundamentals that separate brands that grow from brands that endure. Thank you again to everyone who inspired us at Movetic, and cheers to what’s possible! 

See you at BrandersFest 2026.