How to Build a Brand That Matters
- May 21
- 5 min read
Written by Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO
Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises. Among his independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs.
Joe Foster and I have been colleagues and friends for years, and having spent my entire career in the shoe business, some people are legends. That’s Joe. He may not have known it at the time, but he was delivering a masterclass in how to build a brand by founding Reebok and, in the 1990s, signing Shaquille O'Neal, who wore a size 22 shoe when other competitors stopped at 20. Today, he's 91 and still shows up for the brand he built.
Not too long ago, Joe and I sat for a chat behind our book, From Reebook to Repurpose: Building Brand & Scaling Impact. I told Joe, “You’re the man. You’re a legend,” not to be polite but to recognize that Joe showed us how to build a brand that people believed in. Joe’s work was one of the many inspirations in my work with Sneakers4Good, which redirects sneakers from landfills into the hands of small business owners worldwide through the reuse economy.
Today's consumers can easily spot inauthentic brands. Moreover, the core target audience of advertisers, 18 to 34, is very interested in socially minded brands, and this interest extends beyond that group. These are the reasons why it's essential to know not only how to build a brand, but also how to create one that matters. I've learned about it on my journey, and the following are the lessons I've discovered, including those from Joe.
Lesson 1: A brand starts with a moment that won't let you go
Joe's story begins with his grandfather, who established J.W. Foster & Sons in Bolton, England. They pioneered the spike running shoe worn by Olympians and world-class record breakers. That legacy was something that wouldn't let go, and eventually, Reebok was born. The brand name, by the way, came from the American Webster’s Dictionary, which is a small gazelle. Reebok was a running company, so the name and the moment fit.
My moment was the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, 2004. I saw a shoe wash ashore in a news story, and the image I couldn't forget represented a life. It haunted me because I wondered if the person had survived. That moment compelled me to get involved, changing the direction of my life and career and ultimately leading to the creation of my social enterprises and the brand Sneakers4Good.
Lesson 2: Find the gap nobody else is filling
The gap Joe spotted was hiding in plain sight. His competitors dominated the football and general running spaces, so Joe focused on segments others weren't pursuing, such as cycling. He stayed disciplined, and once the company expanded into the U.S., that same ethos inspired the American company to focus on creating the iconic Freestyle Reebok, designed by Angel Martinez and tailored to women's aerobics.
Americans throw away between 300 and 400 million pairs of shoes and sneakers each year, even though a substantial portion of the footwear still has value. Many people may not realize that about 70% of the global population purchases second-hand shoes and apparel. With Sneakers4Good, I focused on redirecting sneakers from landfills and supporting communities in the U.S. and around the world. It was a space no one had seen for sustainable change.
Lesson 3: The brand mission has to be bigger than the product
When Joe and I discussed legacy, there was a thread about how the mission is never finished, but you keep going and then let someone else take it over. That's how you build a legacy architecture that lasts, and that's what Joe did with Reebok. The company wasn’t simply selling running and athletic shoes. It was selling, and continues to sell, the idea of movement, winning, and becoming better. Joe moved on, but he still attends their events.
As for my social enterprise, Sneakers4Good isn’t about selling sneakers. It’s about creating sustainable opportunities and showing Americans that they can make a difference in their communities, the environment, and also in the lives of people worldwide who depend on the sneakers collected and redirected from landfills. The product is only a vehicle. The idea for entrepreneurs is to create brands with a mission. That's what people want to be a part of.
Lesson 4: Build a team around the golden rule
When Joe and I had our webinar and also in our one-on-one conversations, we talked about a golden nugget or words of wisdom in creating a brand. Joe said that when he was leading Reebok, he cared about hiring people who could do things better than he could. He listened to them, cared to know them, and even learned about their families. He's someone who believes that if you can support your team and help them, you should.
I believe in that as well, as well as the Golden Rule, which is to treat people the way we would like to be treated. Every day, when I go to the office, I make it a point to stop at as many desks as possible on the way to my office to check in on my team and see how they're doing, as well as others. Knowing how to build a brand means understanding that you need people who support you and the greater work.
An iconic brand is good, but an essential one is better
Finally, when you're considering how to build a brand that matters, your mind may naturally wander to creating an iconic one, such as Reebok. But creating one that the world needs is also essential. Both can be masterpieces in their own way. So, ask yourself, is this a brand people want? Does the world need this brand? What will this brand’s legacy look like? Joe said it best when I asked him, at 91, what advice he'd give. He said, "Have fun. Help people you can. Nobody told me to stop. So, I just keep going." Start with a moment, fill the gap, and make the mission bigger than the product.
Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO
Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises. Among his independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs. This social enterprise helps nonprofits, schools, churches, civic groups, individuals, and others raise funds while helping to support micro-enterprise (small business) opportunities in developing nations and the environment.
