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How do you talk about the past without getting hung up on it? Take pride in tradition without being, well, a traditionalist? Celebrate history but blaze the trail for the future? 

 

Brand heritage is about longevity, a record of performance and long-held core values.  The kind of status afforded by history is a quality to which many brands aspire. But when heritage or tradition is expressed poorly, brands can come across outdated, self-important and irrelevant. So how do we keep the best parts of heritage and make it work for now?

 

When we worked with Cath Kidston, we built out a brand that was distinctly British, conjuring up a sense of nostalgia for red London buses, English garden roses and nature-filled afternoons. But we also made sure we spoke to the role the brand plays for customers now. Cath Kidston’s prints spark joy you can carry with you.

 

The key is to not hero your history. Ask yourself: what does my brand stand for beyond the past? Why does the past matter? And how can heritage play a part in centring today’s hero – the customer?
 


Want us to help you talk about your brand’s heritage? Here’s how Melinda Prairie, CEO of Cath Kidston, found working with us:

"Your ability to capture the essence of a heritage brand for today’s customer is both poetic and relatable.  I very much appreciate and enjoy your nimble, creative minds….to believe in and ruminate on our intention, and to transform our branding statements into well-crafted messages that endure and amplify the overall narrative."
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“Tradition can, to be sure, participate in a creation, but it can no longer be creative itself.”

― Kenzo Tange, Architect
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The Interview Header
Tradition is often something to be celebrated. But there are times when it needs to be overturned or updated. After going to a London art fair and realising that there were no women artists, Katy Hessel knew she needed to do something about it. As well as running Instagram page @thegreatwomenartists, Katy hosts a podcast to explore art in an accessible way, and has curated exhibitions that centre women in a traditionally male space.
READ THE INTERVIEW
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Birkenstock started as a cobbler’s workshop in 1774. And since then it’s become a highly regarded brand, not only because it’s been a long term player in footwear – 248 years to be precise – but because it’s kept its orthotics-focused roots relevant to today. In the brand’s recent ‘ugly for a reason’ campaign, Birkenstock unashamedly admits that though its shoes might not be aesthetically pleasing, it's proud of the positive impacts its footwear has on human health. We love that about them.
SEE THE CAMPAIGN
Pick a heritage brand you think could update the way it talks about its history. How would you rewrite their ‘About Us’ page so that heritage is used to hero the customer?

Hit reply to submit your prompt
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Browse our Bookshop.org page to see what the team is reading and a few of our favourite brand and copywriting books. When you buy from Bookshop.org you're supporting independent bookstores. And we're donating the 10% affiliate cut from our store to BookTrust, the UK's largest children's reading charity. 

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