The importance of learning to think if you want relevant and competitive brand management.

Yes, thinking. I'm starting off strong, right? Well, it's something so obvious and sometimes so complex that few teams stop to think about it. They prefer to comply with data: KPIs, OKRs, and whatever else they throw at them, instead of stopping for a moment and thinking, planning the scenario that's truly important to address. It's clear that you have to sell, invoice, and monetize, but that's not everything, nor should it be. At least in brand management.

We live in a world saturated with information and dominated by the speed of results, and brands face a key challenge: being relevant, authentic, and sustainable over time. Therefore, I would like to reflect on how critical thinking—learning to think—is essential if you want a relevant and competitive brand in an environment where it's easy to become diluted by the saturation of information and messages. An environment dominated by the speed of results and the "I want it now, I have to have it now" mentality. This is where agencies and consultancies must value our contribution to brands and, therefore, to our clients' businesses.

Creativity, far from being a momentary spark, is born from the ability to solve problems from different perspectives.

In the field of branding, critical thinking allows us to better understand consumers and the market, challenge established narratives, and find innovative solutions. However, information overload and digital noise hinder this process. Teaching thinking—that is, developing the ability to analyze, contrast, and synthesize information—is an essential step in unlocking the creative potential of individuals and teams. It is much more than an educational necessity; it is an essential pillar for brands and teams that aspire to innovate. Critical thinking not only helps challenge the established, but also allows us to identify opportunities in a context saturated with digital noise.

Let's reflect on how critical thinking, creativity, and strategy can redefine businesses and brands in an ever-changing environment.

Brands face a key challenge: remaining relevant, authentic, and sustainable over time. We live in a context where artificial intelligence and misinformation, as well as over-information caused by digital saturation, dominate the landscape. Teaching thinking has become a crucial challenge and necessity. Not only in the educational field, but also in the way brands and companies approach their strategy and how it must connect with their brand, which in turn must connect with their audience. In this article, I reflect on how fostering critical thinking can directly impact brand building so that it is authentic and, of course, relevant.

The relationship between critical thinking and creativity

Creativity, far from being a momentary spark, is born from the ability to analyze problems from different perspectives. In the field of branding, critical thinking allows us to better understand consumers, question established narratives, and find innovative solutions. However, information overload and digital noise hinder this process. Teaching thinking—that is, developing the ability to analyze, contrast, and synthesize information—is an essential step in unlocking the creative potential of individuals and teams.

Today, it's proven that the most successful brands are those that challenge pre-existing norms with authentic and differentiated offerings. From more international brands like Apple, redefining technology as a lifestyle, to Patagonia, championing sustainability as a core value. To Vicio or Milfshakes, now connected by a new drop from the latter, where the brand experience, its " hype ," takes precedence over the product or service. Brands that seek to create a community to serve all kinds of experiences within it. Contrary to what many may think, these brands are not only creative, but are born from strategic and critical thinking that allows them to detect opportunities where others see barriers.

Critical thinking as the axis of strategy is fundamental.

Branding, at its most fundamental, is more than a design or communication exercise: it's a constant practice of evaluating and redefining how brands engage with their audiences. Critical thinking plays a crucial role here, and to achieve this, at least three key points should be addressed:

• Having a clear path and not losing it: this path begins with defining who we are, what we want to be, our purpose, and what we are going to do or are capable of doing to achieve it. It also comes from being consistent with our personality and conveying it without reservation or variation. We can't please everyone, nor should we please everyone.

• Making data-driven decisions: In a digital world, brands have access to almost unlimited data. However, not all information is useful or accurate. Critical thinking helps filter through the noise and focus on relevant insights .

• Connect authentically: Today's consumers value authenticity. Without a critical approach, brands can fall into the trap of following passing trends that don't truly connect with their audience.

• Anticipate change: Successful strategies are built by anticipating what's coming, understanding it, accepting it, and being able to adapt to it. Critical thinking allows brands to adapt and evolve rather than reacting too late.

Branding: Beyond the image, it's a connected business strategy represented in different ways—visual, auditory, editorial, etc.—based on a defined personality that must be shaped.

Branding is not just about how a brand is perceived, but also about the impact it has on its environment. A relevant brand not only sells, but also educates, inspires, and transforms. Teaching thinking is essential to building that impact, both among the teams that develop strategies and among the audiences they target. To achieve this, it is necessary to have teams that practice a critical approach, thus gaining a greater capacity to solve problems, find new perspectives, and generate ideas that truly matter.

But not everything is the brand's responsibility; consumers, audiences, and ultimately, people must also be aware of this, and to achieve this, a brand must not only create customers, but also ambassadors. Fostering critical thinking from the brand to the community also contributes to a society that is more informed and aware of what it buys, consumes, and/or shares.

A clear message in times of misinformation.

Good branding, like a good campaign or a groundbreaking business model, must be connected or hand in hand with creativity and strategy. This requires a renewed approach that values critical thinking as the central axis of much of what we put on the table in our daily lives.

At identty, we believe that the future of branding lies in building brands that not only stand out, but also educate, inspire, and deeply connect with their audiences.

What do you think? Do you integrate critical thinking into your brand strategies or do you just follow trends?