Susan Sontag was right when she observed in the 1970s that “Today everything exists to end in a photograph.”

When I was 12 years old, I started playing in rock bands. It was the 1990s and peak-Metal era; Metallica, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Faith No More, Soundgarden, Tool, the list goes on.

I had no doubt about the quality of the music we produced.

Retrospectively, I think I should have had many doubts…

A few things I've learned about hope, culture, and why you should steal Beavertown pint glasses.

Let me start with something that might sting a little: people don't give a damn about your brand. Not yours, not mine, not anyone's. They've got lives to live. They're not wandering around thinking about what your brand is up to today.

And yet, brands can matter enormously. The difference between the two is what I want to talk about…

With the New Year upon us, we enter a new phase for productivity. We act, we improve, we start a new, we cut, we reduce, we stop.

What Makes a Brand Famous? The Strategy Behind Brands People Can’t Stop Talking About

Fame isn’t luck. It’s built. We Are Thought breaks down what makes a brand famous — and the strategy that separates the brands people talk about from the ones they ignore.

Most businesses are good at trying to be noticed. The brands that win are trying to be famous.

That distinction sounds simple. It isn’t. Better is a race with no finish line, better product, better price, better service. Every business wants to be better.  Including your competitors.

Famous is something else entirely. Famous brands don’t just win customers. They earn advocates. They command premium prices, attract stronger talent, build genuine resilience, and create the kind of consumer loyalty that protects long-term value.

So what makes a brand famous? And more importantly, can it be built deliberately?

The answer is yes. But not in the way most people think.