In a world obsessed with what’s next, established brands have ‘heritage’ as a unique advantage. But heritage is a double-edged sword. It can either be a launchpad for bold evolution or a weight that holds you back, depending on how it’s used.
When approached strategically, heritage transforms from a record of where you’ve been into a force that inspires and drives where you’re going. Done right, it’s a powerful tool for growth, innovation, and differentiation. Done wrong, it holds you back, trapping you in nostalgia while competitors get ahead.
When Heritage Holds You Back
Here’s where many strategic leaders get it wrong:
- Treating heritage as a static history
- Leaning too much on legacy
- Failing to adapt the story
All these mistakes leave brands stuck in the past, unable to compete, and disconnected from modern audiences.
We need to view heritage as a living, evolving foundation—one that powers growth, innovation, and differentiation.
Heritage as a Launchpad for Growth
Heritage isn’t static, it evolves along with the brand, providing the structure needed to take bold leaps into the future. Growth comes from finding the balance between honouring the past and embracing change, using heritage to stay grounded while adapting to new markets, shifting customer expectations, and fresh innovations. By weaving heritage and future ambitions together, brands can turn their history into a platform that not only supports growth but drives it.
Heritage as a Launchpad for Innovation
Heritage doesn’t have to be backward-looking; it can be somewhere you move forward from, rather than look back to. It can provide the credibility and authenticity needed to experiment and take risks while maintaining trust. Far from being a restriction, it can be a living resource that informs innovative ideas, fuels creativity, and aligns a brand’s evolution with its identity.
Heritage as a Launchpad for Differentiation
In an increasingly competitive marketplace, heritage sets a brand apart. It provides an authenticity and sense of purpose that competitors simply can’t replicate. By articulating heritage in a way that resonates with today’s audience, brands can create deeper, meaningful connections and build lasting loyalty. It’s no longer just about history, but about a compelling, irreplicable narrative that’s relatable and impossible to forget.
Take ZSL, a leader in conservation for over 200 years.
Their brand was respected but misunderstood, both internally and externally. Through a shared purpose—restoring wildlife and ecosystems—we turned their legacy into a unifying force. A new narrative and identity brought their teams together and reintroduced ZSL as a forward-looking global leader.
Audiences responded overwhelmingly. Testing showed their refreshed identity was three times as impactful as the sector average. The change was more than visual—it was a redefinition of ZSL’s role in the future of conservation.
The logo progression below shows how elements from the organisations were brought back and incorporated into the new design.
Your Brand’s Next Chapter
Heritage isn’t just about history but about the future that’s being shaped. It offers clarity in a noisy world, trust in uncertain times, and inspiration for reinvention. The real question is: will you use it as a reflection of where you’ve been or a springboard for what’s next?
