TL;DR: In an increasingly competitive marketplace, product quality is moving from background element to a central character in a brand's narrative. As consumers gain access to information via review platforms and social media, they're demanding more than just emotional brand connections—they want substantive quality that delivers on its promises.
Leading brands, from tech giants to luxury fashion houses, are recognising the shift, finding innovative ways to showcase craftsmanship, functionality, and longevity as core elements of their storytelling approaches.
No More Smoke and Mirrors
Professor Scott Galloway, on his Uncensored CMO podcast, states that brands can no longer succeed by wrapping mediocre product in attractive brand codes. The era of selling average cars from Detroit, sugary beverages, or clothing basics through evocative brand codes like American vigor, wings, or eternal love has faded. You can guess the brands. Today's consumers can instantly access quality information about virtually any product category.
What's driving this change? The democratisation of product information. Galloway suggests that platforms like Google Maps, TripAdvisor, Amazon reviews, and TikTok have created what might be called "systems of mass diligence"—a reality where no customer needs to accept a seven-out-of-ten product when they can quickly identify a perfect ten with minimal effort. This transparency has fundamentally altered consumer expectations, forcing brands to adapt their marketing approaches.
Product Worlds
Forward-thinking brands have recognized that product benefits must be creatively communicated to cut through the noise. Rather than relegating quality to bullet points in product descriptions, they're finding multi-sensory ways to showcase product attributes with the same creative energy previously reserved for brand building.
Loewe, under the recently departed Jonathan Anderson, is a prime example. Their product ASMR content appeals to more senses than just sight. By capturing the sounds and textures of their products in video form, they communicate quality through demonstration rather than description. This multi-sensory approach engages potential customers on a deeper level, allowing them to virtually experience product quality before purchase.
Moncler exist as another instructive example through their collaboration with Jony Ive's design studio, LoveFrom. Rather than producing a typical artistic lookbook, they opted for close-up photographs showcasing expertly crafted pastel fabrics and highlighting engineering innovations like their newly developed "Duo Button." Their messaging emphasises "meticulous attention to detail and a devotion to excellence"—language that positions their product more like precision engineering than fashion.
This evolution doesn't signal the end of narrative driven brand storytelling. But it does represent a more sophisticated integration where brand values and product attributes become mutually reinforcing. When Apple showcases the environmental impact of their material choices, they're simultaneously telling a story about product quality and brand values. When Patagonia details the durability of their outerwear, they're connecting product benefits with their brand commitment to sustainability.
The most successful companies understand that these elements shouldn't compete but complement each other. Brand gives context and meaning to product attributes; product quality provides substance to brand promises.
Why This Strategic Shift Matters
For marketers, the implications are significant. Product innovation alone is no longer sufficient—brands must develop creative approaches to communicate these innovations. Where brand messaging once drove consumer interest and investigation, today's competitive landscape demands that brands use equally creative storytelling to elevate the product itself.
This approach resonates particularly with younger consumers who have grown up with unlimited access to product information. They're less susceptible to pure brand messaging and more likely to investigate claims about quality, durability, and performance. When a brand puts its product in the front seat through inventive activations, it cuts through to these quality-conscious consumers while reinforcing the brand's credibility.
The Path Forward
As we look ahead, successful brands will increasingly find ways to make product quality tangible through their marketing. This might mean more behind-the-scenes content showing craftsmanship, interactive tools allowing consumers to explore product features, or innovative retail experiences that showcase functionality.
The brands that thrive will be those that understand product quality isn't just a background assumption but a central character in their story. By finding creative ways to communicate substantive benefits, they'll build deeper connections with consumers who are increasingly savvy about their purchasing decisions.
The lesson is clear: in a world of perfect information, the product must live up to the promise of the brand. When it does—and when brands find innovative ways to showcase this alignment—both product and brand become stronger, creating lasting value in an increasingly competitive marketplace.