go, products evolve and customers move on. Five years ago, LA-based Urban Decay was one of the hottest cosmetics brands on the planet. Acquired by L’Oréal in 2012 for what was believed to be over $300 million, Urban Decay placed huge marketing emphasis on its “Naked” eye shadow palettes, which at one point in time were rumoured to make up well over half of its overall product sales globally. Big and emerging competitors were able to jump on this movement and create their own high-value, low-priced, “all-in-one” palettes that flooded retail, eating into Urban Decay’s market share and making it harder to differentiate. Products are easy to replicate. A brand is not. Brands that focus on clearly defining and expressing their unique point of difference, their DNA, are the ones that will stand out from noisy competitors, create brand love and a deep, emotional connection with their customers that will weather trends, the evolution of tech – and global pandemics. What is brand DNA? Brand DNA is the blood that runs through the veins of a company. It evolves organically, represents the values of the brand and leans on its history to clearly define a unique tone, irreverence and culture that cannot be copied. It’s authenticity at its most impactful, and a smart brand will look to its DNA to help it make all its decisions, from product development to recruitment, to partnerships and influencer management. Benefit Cosmetics, founded in 1976, is one of the biggest beauty brands in the world and has consistently stood out with its strong DNA. The playful brand has always defined itself beyond makeup and the products it sells. With the strapline “Laughter is the best cosmetic”, Benefit clearly sets itself apart, communicating to customers that makeup doesn’t have to be serious to look and feel good, with pillars of fun, a bold and girly personality and a heritage in San Francisco counterculture. Everything from its store design, media sends and Instagram content is guided by whether it reflects the personality and DNA of the brand. Another example of a brand with a strong DNA is Ben and Jerry’s. Leaders in luxury ice cream and founded in Vermont, the DNA of Ben and Jerry’s puts just as much emphasis on its roots in activism as its product. They were one of the first consumer brands to release a statement on the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers in May clearly supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. Because of their DNA centred around social justice, Ben and Jerry’s were one of few first authentic voices in corporate America advocating for the dismantling of white supremacy. This forms the fabric of the Ben and Jerry’s DNA and in turn, signals a clear voice and values that they hope to share with their customers, instilling loyalty that can’t be bought by the release of a new ice cream flavour. A positive feeling towards a brand can’t be bottled; an emotional connection can’t be paid for. The strength and longevity of a business can sometimes be best solved by looking inwards, to its brand roots, and carving out a clear space in the market for its unique point of view. Phoebe Simmonds is the founder of Melbourne hair salon The Blow and cofounder of online retailer The Memo. She has eight years of executive brand management and business development at LVMH in the UK, Southeast Asia and Australia. This story appears in the September 16, 2020, issue of Inside Retail Weekly.