Become More Valuable
Become More Valuable
Don’t merely sell more—become more valuable.
This is a deceptively simple directive. It challenges the prevailing metric of success in today’s business world: volume. For too long, the equation has been straightforward: more units sold equals greater success. But what if the goal was not just to grow by scale, but to grow by significance? What if true success meant building value that endures, resonates, and evolves?
To become more valuable, leaders must shift from a transactional mindset to a transformative one. This begins with a recalibration of what we define as "value." No longer confined to economic outputs alone, value today is multifaceted: it encompasses social influence, environmental stewardship, cultural capital, and emotional connection. The modern CEO is not merely a steward of financial performance but a curator of a holistic value portfolio.
Rethinking the CEO Role: From Operator to Investor
Lee Maschmeyer, co-founder and CEO of Collins, introduced a profound paradigm at our recent fireside conversations in New York and Cannes. He contends that today's CEOs should think more like Chief Investment Officers. Instead of managing products, they manage portfolios—not of stocks or bonds, but of value types: economic, cultural, social, environmental.
The smartest leaders recognize that over-indexing on any one type of value leaves an organization exposed. A company obsessed solely with financial returns may find itself culturally irrelevant, socially tone-deaf, or environmentally negligent. Diversification is not just a financial principle—it's a creative and strategic one.
The Value Portfolio: A New Framework
Imagine a luxury fashion house. Traditionally, its value would be measured by sales figures, runway show attendance, or celebrity endorsements. But a modern lens reveals a richer spectrum:
Economic Value: Sales, profitability, shareholder return.
Cultural Value: Symbolism, aesthetic innovation, participation in broader cultural conversations.
Social Value: Community building, inclusivity, employment practices.
Environmental Value: Sustainable sourcing, carbon footprint reduction, lifecycle responsibility.
By investing across all four domains, a brand ensures its relevance and resilience. Economic success becomes not the end goal, but the result of deeply rooted value creation.
Cultural Products as Risk Diversifiers
My own work focuses on the power of cultural products: the stories, symbols, and sensory experiences that transcend the core utility of what a company offers. These cultural products are not just marketing tools; they are strategic assets.
In a world of uncertainty and ambiguity, a portfolio of cultural products functions as a hedge. Not every product or idea will be a success, but the more diversified your cultural footprint, the greater the chance of resonance.
Consider the case of Labubu, the character that captured mass attention seemingly overnight. On the surface, it appears to be a case of celebrity endorsement by Lisa, a famous K-pop star. But that spark alone wasn’t enough. The conditions were right: the rise of the "lipstick effect" among aspirational consumers, the normalization of adult collectibles, the power of TikTok, and the psychological impact of scarcity. It was a perfect storm of cultural readiness.
Similarly, Loewe's tomato became an icon not through traditional marketing, but by tapping into a cultural moment. The tomato became a symbol—of playfulness, of craftsmanship, of narrative fashion.
These are not outliers; they are exemplars of how cultural investments pay dividends.
Creativity Meets Measurability
Lee Maschmeyer also highlights the convergence of finance and creativity. In advertising, the prevailing mantra is: "Whoever is closest to the sale, wins." This has driven a narrow focus on performance marketing and conversion metrics.
But the real opportunity lies in merging this measurability with creative ambition. By building a value portfolio, companies can afford to take creative risks. One campaign may not convert immediately but may generate cultural capital that lifts the entire brand.
Creativity, then, becomes both risk-averse and risk-friendly. Risk-averse in that it’s backed by a diversified strategy; risk-friendly in that it dares to venture into the unknown, knowing it has a safety net.
Lessons from Cultural Conglomerates
Cultural industries have long understood the value of diversification. Hollywood, for instance, has always been about slates, not singles. Studios invest in a range of films, genres, and talent—accepting that some will flop, others will break even, and a few will become blockbusters.
This model offers a roadmap for other industries. Brands must think like entertainment conglomerates, orchestrating a suite of products, experiences, and expressions that function collectively to build equity. This includes everything from flagship products to brand collaborations, from social initiatives to artistic installations.
Strategic Abundance: More Ways to Win
When a brand has multiple vectors of value creation, it opens more pathways to success. You can win through cultural resonance, through innovation, through social leadership, through aesthetic clarity. This abundance is not excess; it's strategy.
The key is orchestration. Value creation must be intentional and aligned. Random acts of branding will not suffice. Each move should be part of a larger narrative arc.
The CEO as Cultural Curator
To truly become more valuable, CEOs must evolve into cultural curators. This doesn’t mean becoming tastemakers in the traditional sense. It means understanding the deeper shifts in society, art, identity, and environment—and positioning the brand to participate in those shifts meaningfully.
This is a high-order responsibility. It requires a blend of intuition and insight, data and daring. But the rewards are immense: cultural relevance, consumer loyalty, market leadership.
A Call to Action
Becoming more valuable is not a trend—it's a transformation. It asks for more from leaders, but it gives more in return. Brands that rise to the challenge will find themselves not just surviving market shifts, but shaping them.
Join us at our next Hitmakers gathering, where these ideas take living form. And stay tuned for Season Two of the Hitmakers podcast, where Lee Maschmeyer and I continue exploring the architecture of value in a changing world.
Don't just sell more. Become more valuable.