Buyers Bucking Back and How Subcultures Shape or Shatter Your Brand
- Brainz Magazine
- May 14
- 5 min read
Written by LaTricia Morris, Branding Agent
LaTricia Morris is The Brand Revivalist, founder of Ox & Iron. She helps legacy-driven entrepreneurs cut through the clutter and create bold, unforgettable brands. With a focus on purposeful design and strategic messaging, LaTricia crafts brands that connect deeply with their audience and leave a lasting impact.
Brand ignorance was a luxury of a bygone era, when reach, not resonance, secured market dominance, often overriding buyer preference.
But that era is dead.
I mean, dead like Fred.
Not coming back.
Forget it.
In a world where consumers carry such colossal power in their pocket, buyers aren’t putting up with crap.
The noise, the gimmicks, and the fake attempts to fit into their world; that's a hard pass. Today's consumer doesn't need to complain or explain. They simply scroll and roll on, and onto the one who gets it.
With trend-chasing companies attempting to buy their way into relevance, modern consumers are seeking something authentic. They gravitate toward brands that stand for something, operate with conviction, and belong to the communities they serve rather than attempting to pander to them.
If your brand isn’t anchored in a cultural context with which your ideal customers identify, you may just be adrift in a vast sea of competition and shark-infested waters.
Today, branding is a form of cultural positioning. It’s about embedding your business into the identity of your audience and building something resilient, capable of withstanding shifts that will inevitably disrupt weaker players.
Here’s what it takes to ensure your brand doesn’t just survive, but defines the future.
Subcultures as brand anchors
Successful brands don’t just serve markets; they reflect identities. They recognize that every touchpoint is an opportunity to affirm or elevate the deep personal status of their target audience, and they do so unabashedly.
Subcultures provide a brand with gravity. They become the central force around which customers organize themselves. Choosing a brand aligned with a subculture takes the transaction from a simple buying decision to a declaration of self. In this way, people will not just buy your products but will go that huge step further in buying into your brand.
Quick case studies
1. Jeep
Jeep holds in the market entirely as its own kind. You don’t mimic it. If it ain’t a Jeep, it’s a joke. (Their take, not mine.)
You know…“It’s a Jeep Thing.”
Jeep’s branding extends far beyond product features. It taps into an ethos.
There’s a whole culture of Jeep drivers who go all out, with one of the most extensive ecosystems of accessories and customizations in the automotive space.
It’s not about convenience. It’s about belonging, freedom, rough terrain, and no apologies.
2. Air Jordan
Built on street credibility, athletic dominance, and cultural crossover, Air Jordans aren’t what you grab because you “just need a comfortable walking shoe.” They go in the closet as a statement piece.
They carry weight in hip hop, sneakerhead, and streetwear culture. If you don’t get it, you just won’t get it.
Subcultures are not just preferences. They’re codes.
They have unspoken rules, insider language, and values you can’t fake your way into.
And yes, this goes well beyond streetwear and off-road culture.
Total contrast and yet another case in point:
3. Repetto
The moment you step into the ballet world, Repetto carries a different kind of weight.
It’s not loud. It’s not bold.
It’s legacy, lineage, and exacting form.
Repetto doesn’t scream for attention but chooses to communicate a message of mastery, discipline, and restraint. The ballet subculture doesn’t trade in flash or gaudy statements so much as refinement, posture, and precision.
The cultural chasm between Repetto and Air Jordan. Both could be linked to dance culture, but they’re speaking entirely different languages.
And that’s the point.
Without a cultural anchor, a brand risks becoming indistinct. With one, it becomes a badge of identity, a signal of personal status, and something consumers are proud to buy.
Subcultures in branding as catalysts for brand evolution
Subcultures are dynamic. They grow, shift, and evolve, as should the brands connected to them.
A common mistake among legacy companies is assuming that brand equity built today will automatically sustain them tomorrow. False. Cultural relevance is not static.
Brands that endure are those that anticipate and adapt to the evolving expressions of the subcultures they serve.
This doesn’t mean you can’t build a “timeless” brand or one that earns loyalty by delivering the same level of excellence for decades. But “timeless” doesn’t mean staunch, stale, or arrogantly unaware of the world evolving around it.
Red Bull is another classic case study here. The company began with a strong association with extreme sports and high-energy experiences. Over time, it expanded into music, esports, and forward-leaning digital communities. At every turn, Red Bull has maintained its core identity: boldness, limit-pushing, and dominance in unconventional arenas.
The lesson is clear: a brand’s core must remain consistent, but its application must remain flexible.
Sustained brand power comes from strategic evolution, not from standing still.
Subcultures in branding as a double-edged sword
Cultural alignment can elevate a brand or expose it.
A brand that genuinely aligns with a subculture can earn lifelong loyalty. However, the consequences are often swift and severe when it attempts to exploit a culture for visibility or profit.
Nike has successfully navigated this tension. Its alignment with athlete subcultures and values, such as perseverance, activism, and achievement, has allowed the company to take bold stands without alienating its core audience. Controversial campaigns have strengthened its position, not weakened, because they were authentic extensions of its brand values.
Contrast this with brands that opportunistically adopt social or cultural narratives to appear “woke” or current. These companies often face backlash, not because of the causes they support, but because their disingenuous engagement lacks substance. Consumers can sense inauthenticity instantly, and bet they’ll make a company pay for it.
Cultural tourism is transparent and unforgivable in today’s environment. A brand cannot afford to pretend.
Your brand is either leading a culture or losing to one
The takeaway is simple: brands that do not stand for something greater than themselves are inherently vulnerable.
If your brand is not intentionally embedded within a relevant culture, it becomes directionless. Directionless brands don’t get lost; they get replaced.
Building a legacy brand calls for cultural commitment. It requires understanding not only your product’s utility but its symbolic meaning.
Who does your brand help your audience become? What does it say about them?
The brands that endure are not those that make the most noise or follow every trend. They are those who move with clarity, confidence, and cultural intelligence.
They don’t chase attention. They command it by standing confidently in who they are among their people.
What smart brands do now
If you are building a brand designed not just to launch but to last, this is the moment to think deeply about your cultural posture.
Start by identifying the subcultures your brand already resonates with or those where you have earned permission to contribute meaningfully. Build authentic relationships within these communities. Listen more than you speak. Evolve your messaging and positioning in response to fundamental shifts, not passing trends.
Lead from your core. Stay anchored. Adapt at the edges.
Never forget that culture is key to your most significant impact and for your company to not just win in the world but for the world in a huge way.
That’s a wrap.
Need help connecting your brand to the world? Let’s have a conversation.
Read more from LaTricia Morris
LaTricia Morris, Branding Agent
LaTricia Morris is The Brand Revivalist, founder of Ox & Iron. At the core of her work is the belief in seeing the greatness in others and helping them communicate their true value to the people who need it most. LaTricia specializes in creating brands that are authentic, purpose-driven, and designed to resonate deeply. By aligning identity with strategy, she empowers businesses to stand out and build lasting connections with their audience.
