Brand Resilience | Tory Burch Foundation

Forget the logo. Forget the slogan. A great brand is built on a feeling—that gut-level spark of emotional connection. But here’s the rub: how can founders strategize around something so intangible? Where do you even begin? 

Brand strategist Robyn Young of Young and Co. has spent two decades answering that question. The author of Build Your Brand Universe: Crafting a Unique World People Can’t Ignore, she’s worked with both Fortune 500 companies and boutique firms, helping them develop strong brands that drive the business forward, even in challenging markets. 

She shared a playbook for brand resilience in a changing world as part of our webinar series.

WHAT IS BRAND?

A brand is a perception or a reputation. “It’s the impression that is shaped by how people think of you, your product and your company,” explained Young. 

Again, it’s not a logo, a tagline, a color scheme or packaging. “Those are expressions of your brand,” she said. “They’re important but they’re not your brand.” 

A brand is also not a product. The latter solves a problem; the former creates connection. “It’s what you stand for, not what you sell,” Young clarified. 
Case in point: Airbnb, whose mission statement centers on belonging. “Nothing in their brand marketing has anything to do with renting rooms,” she said. This stance has allowed the company to expand organically into Airbnb Experiences (local-hosted activities) and Services (in-home chefs, spa treatments).

THE CHALLENGES.

Business threats are constant, whether internal (employee churn) or external (rising tariffs). Brand resilience helps you weather the challenges. Young outlined the most common ones.  

Shifting Markets

On a macro level, there are economic forces such as inflation, stagflation and recession. On a smaller scale—but no less disruptive—are changes in customer behavior. Just think back to how streaming upended the movie rental business. “What feels like a sure bet one day can fizzle quickly,” Young pointed out. 

Tech Advances

This includes everything from AI to software developments. Be wary of depending on a single platform or a social channel; just because something worked before doesn’t mean it will forever. 

According to Young, the meditation app Headspace navigated this shift well, when it responded to the rise of virtual reality by launching an immersive experience with Meta Quest. 

Cultural Trends

Remember these words: don’t follow trends. “It’s not a strong structure for a brand strategy,” Young said. “It does not give you the long-term equity that you hope it will.” As soon as the trend fades, so will your brand without a strong point of view to back it up. 

Product Pivots

Most companies will pivot their business at least once. But if your brand hinges on a specific product, any changes will feel like you’re starting from scratch. 

Turnover and Burnout

Brand extends to how your team members experience your company, too. Founder fatigue, employee churn all take their toll. “Too many businesses make salary and perks the only incentive,” said Young. “People want to feel that their work means something and aligns with their own values.” 

Anchor your brand in something deeper. Young cited Patagonia as the perfect example. Every part of the business reflects its commitment to the environment, including the company culture, where employees get time off to volunteer with a nonprofit in that space. 

Restructuring

When it comes to mergers, acquisitions and leadership changes, you hope the person you hand the baton to will uphold your legacy and values, but that’s not always the case. Just look at the ice cream brand Ben and Jerry’s, which has long made social advocacy part of its identity. After selling to Unilever, that began to change, leading co-founder Jerry Greenfield to resign in 2025. 

[Your brand] has to be specific enough to be memorable, but robust enough to give you range.

WHAT MAKES A BRAND RESILIENT?

The defining element of a resilient brand, Young said, is its ability to bend without breaking. “This may sound counterintuitive, but you have to be able to hold complexity and clarity in the same space,” she explained. “It has to be specific enough to be memorable, but robust enough to give you range.” 

In other words: don’t try to be everywhere or everything to everyone. Be focused, but fluid enough to evolve. Do one thing consistently well and let that be your north star—which, by the way, doesn’t refer to your product. “You have to meet the moment,” Young continued, “and give people something they care about that aligns with your values.”

The Good: Eastern Townships

After escalating tariffs and tensions between the U.S. and Canada in 2025, the tourism board for Quebec’s Eastern Townships, a popular holiday destination, released an ad leaning into heartfelt hospitality. “It capitalized on the moment and shifted perception,” said Young. “This was a point of view about acceptance, even in a highly polarized environment.” 

The Bad: Forever 21

Forever 21 was fast, cheap and trendy—and it thrived for a while because of it. But without a clear identity beyond that, customers moved on to other fast-fashion retailers. “The only lever it had to pull was price and, unfortunately, that’s a race to the bottom,” Young explained. 

HOW TO BUILD YOUR BRAND.

1. Choose a universal theme for your brand. 

Young puts the emphasis on “universal” here—pick something that appeals broadly. Oura, for example, focuses on longevity in its branding, not smart rings. Dove is about empowerment, not soap. Liquid Death—water in an aluminum can—turns plastic-free hydration into a rebellious act with a heavy metal vibe. Its slogan: Death to plastic. 

If your business has multiple possible themes, prioritize just one. “That doesn’t mean the others can’t live in your story somewhere,” said Young, “but you have to decide the most important one for the perception of your brand.”

Does another brand already share your theme? Then consider if it still gives you positioning power—and how you will make yours better. 

2. Determine the conflict at the heart of your theme that gives your brand tension. 

Think this versus that—for instance, quality vs. quantity, disconnection vs. authentic connection. 

3. Brainstorm ways your brand can express that theme. 

This could be anything—a social media post, a PR stunt, an event or a customer interaction. The goal is to reinforce the idea within the brand experience. “Turn the volume up to show that you really care about the theme,” added Young. 

Another great example comes from a Young and Co. client in home goods. Her theme was slow living, with a conflict of slow vs. fast. To bring the idea to life, she held an event and served hot tea to those waiting in line. The message: in a fast-paced world, take the time to pause and enjoy the small moments. 

HOW TO REBRAND.

What if you’re an established brand in need of a refresh—and are worried about alienating customers? 

Young gets candid: you will lose some customers, and that’s not a bad thing. “You’re not creating a brand for everyone,” she reminded. “You will gain traction by being willing to sacrifice certain audiences. That’s a benefit of having a point of view.”

Build your brand based on psychographics (personality, preferences, motivations), and not demographics. You’ll understand how your customers think, shop and decide, and can actively target them and align your brand with that mindset. 

And don’t jump into a purely aesthetic rebrand—or, as Young put it, “don’t skip the strategy and go into the deliverables.” Be true to your identity and let the decisions follow. 
“Have integrity in what you’re saying,” she said. “That’s why it’s important to be clear on what your values are—and make sure all the other departments in your company reflect them as well, not just marketing. Every brand experience impacts perception.”