10 branding lessons from the Open Letter to BrewDog

6 minute read / author: Jen Latimer

No doubt you’ve seen what’s befallen the BrewDog name in recent days. If you haven’t already read the Punks With Purpose open letter written by ex-employees of the brand, we urge you to do so.

Shocked by the disconnect between the prominent brand the world knows versus the one that’s come to light, our brand-builders have gone one step further and read between the lines. 

Join me as I deep dive into the gravity of the words from BrewDog’s ex-employees, discovering ten hidden branding lessons that every brand can learn from.

Lesson 1:

Excerpt: “BrewDog was, and is, built on a cult of personality.”

Lesson: Don’t build a brand around the founder and nothing else.

Being a founder is fundamental for a business because there is no business without them, right? Well, that’s not the case once the business’s status goes from startup to small business and beyond. As a name grows within its industry, the brand needs to move beyond the person who created it. In fact, in the name of growth, it’s critical that it does. 

Lesson 2:

Excerpt: "Put bluntly, the single biggest shared experience of former staff is a residual feeling of fear."

Lesson: It's not just about logos and messaging: employee experience will always play a key part in branding.

Brands can present themselves to the world however they choose, but the proof will always be in the pudding. If a company wants to be the best employer in the world, the first thing they should be doing is taking steps to protect staff. Experiences are more important than appearances, so experience should be a key consideration when it comes to branding.

Lesson 3:

Excerpt: "These days, you claim you want to save the planet - an admirable mission, but slightly undermined when you look back over years of vanity projects."

Lesson: Don’t be a hypocrite — actively work towards your collective mission.

As above, if a brand wants to help the environment, lead by example, donate to the organisations who make a difference and encourage workers to contribute to the effort. Definitely don’t hire a private jet to get to your suarée. Talk is cheap: a brand must always be working towards their mission in everything they do. 

Lesson 4:

Excerpt: "Brewing an “eco-friendly” saison with glacier water (half of which was dumped down the drain) so the proceeds could go to charity (but only after the donation was slashed because it was too much)."

Lesson: Don't feign action for publicity – it's easily debunked.

Liars get caught. And brands preaching action and not following through will be publicly called out, leading to a PR frenzy. Contrary to the famous saying from P.T. Barnum, there IS such a thing as bad publicity, and it should be avoided as much as possible if you want your brand to flourish and remain untarnished long term. 

Lesson 5: 

Excerpt: “Growth, at all costs, has always been perceived as the number one focus for the company, and the fuel you have used to achieve it is controversy.”

Lesson: Growth isn’t good if achieved by damaging means.

What’s the point in creating a seemingly successful brand if no one actually likes it? Internal people, competitors and the general public will remember (and reminisce over) the time they had a bad experience with a brand, be it through the brand’s attitude or something else. Burning bridges along the way will only result in an early demise, no matter how large the brand gets in the meantime.

Lesson 6:

Excerpt: “Suffice to say that a significant number of people have admitted they have suffered mental illness as a result of working at BrewDog.”

Lesson: All brands have a responsibility to be mental health ambassadors.

It should go without saying that mental health should be taken seriously by everyone, especially by brands. A brand is a shining beacon and speaks loudly in society, which means it should set a good example for those in its wake. If they are damaging people – first and foremost, their own – then that is not a brand consumers will care for any part of.

Lesson 7:

Excerpt: “Being treated like a human being was sadly not always a given.”

Lesson: Be human.

People buy from people. We trust the opinions of our friends, learn from our elders and respect those who show us the same respect. So, if a brand isn’t demonstrating its humanity during every interaction, piece of content, internal conversation and the likes, what is it saying to the world? Disconnected messaging and values come across as alien, and therefore will alienate those who experience it.

Lesson 8:

Excerpt: “You have become a lightning rod for some of the worst attitudes present on both the internet, and in real life.”

Lesson: Don’t be a di-- distasteful brand.

There’s nothing wrong with a brand peacocking its personality, showing a bit of sass or promoting bold statements. But once an action or message ripples through an audience and makes people feel entitled to spout offensive, racist, sexist or politically incorrect ideas, it’s gone too far. Freedom of speech is a human right, but brands have a responsibility to set a good example for society. 

Lesson 9:

Excerpt: “So many of us started our jobs there eagerly, already bought into the BrewDog ethos, only to very quickly discover that “fast-paced” meant “unmanageable”, and “challenging” meant “damaging”.”

Lesson: Be a hero.

The phrase ‘never meet your heroes’ shouldn’t apply to brands, but it does. How many stories have you heard about people landing their dream job after admiring a brand for so long, only to be disappointed by the company's internal workings? We even hear negative employee stories from workers at brands like Google and Disney, so remember: be a hero. Live up to the brand promise, not just through marketing but through actions and outcomes.

Lesson 10:

Excerpt: “Signed, the following former BrewDog team members:...”

Lesson: Years of brand-building can come crashing down in an instant.

Such a simple sign off, the same as in any other letter. But here, it stands for something much more catastrophic than a goodbye: it provides complete and utter discredit of the brand from the people who know it best. So, what can be learned from this? Ensure your brand reflects the current inner workings of the organisation. If one way of life is preached while another is in practice, the truth will always come to light.

While BrewDog has grown rapidly since its inception, the brand’s attention-thirsty prerogative has come back with a bite.

In a world where people are increasingly aware of the world around them and are able to vote for the kind of world they want with the brands they choose to buy from, consumers are making more buying decisions based on their values and personal ethos. Brands must be oozing the right kind of message, lead by example and be built through genuine action instead of over-hyped marketing campaigns.

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