Is internal resistance holding your brand back?
In this episode, we’re looking at what really holds brands back from evolving — and it’s often not the market, but internal resistance. When key decision-makers are deeply tied to the brand’s history, change can feel risky instead of strategic. We explore how to navigate that dynamic, with practical ways to build internal buy-in, shift perspectives, and move the brand forward with confidence.
Branding Before Breakfast Ep 210 Is internal resistance holding your brand back?
Good morning. Today we are talking about the internal roadblocks that prevent your brand from being where it needs to be. I’ve been having conversations with marketing managers and brand managers recently who all know the brand needs to change and evolve, but they’re being met with resistance from senior stakeholders, from directors, from board members, and I think it’s those people that have the most decision making power that often also have the biggest emotional attachment to the brand because they’ve probably been there from the beginning. They’ve seen the journey the brand’s been on and what it’s taken to get to this point. And for them, change doesn’t feel strategic, it just feels really risky.
I want to share with you a few strategies that may help you get that internal buy-in because it can be quite tricky and complicated. So the first one is to start small – baby steps people. One thing we’ve seen work really well is to start with a brand audit. Getting some external, fresh eyes to come in.
Look at the brand, assess where it’s at, identify some opportunities, some gaps, and help you present your case so that it’s backed by data and insights and strategic expertise. I find that if you can start with those small steps and get some quick wins on the board, then stakeholders are going to see the value that comes from change.
That isn’t a huge investment and it’s going to help get that ball rolling. Another great strategy is to find champions outside of the marketing team. Sales managers, operation managers, administration staff, people that are talking to your customers on a regular basis, and they’re hearing direct feedback, complaints, areas where the brand is failing.
And then leadership can start to see that the request for change is coming from multiple directions, not just the marketing team. So, it may be that you need some external validation to get that internal buy-in. But remember, it’s not your job to alleviate all concerns. That’s going to be impossible.
But by starting small, taking it bit by bit and taking them on that journey, it’s going to help you get that buy-in and moving the brand to where it needs to be.
Written by: Kiri White
Published: May 14, 2025
