The marketing world has long been obsessed with one mission- make the brand bigger.

Bigger awareness. Bigger share. Bigger buzz.

Too many strategy meetings and campaign briefs start with the same questions:

• How can we make people notice us?

• How can we make them fall in love with us?

• How can we win the market?

This way of thinking is familiar. It’s how we were all trained: companies exist to grow brands and profits. There’s nothing wrong with that - until brand-centricity misses big opportunities.

In today’s world, human centricity is a necessity to seize new opportunities and to stand out in the market with true value.

The winning way forward is to design brands that solve real problems - brands that understand people’s lives, listen to their pressures, and create solutions that make a difference.

“The most relevant brands - those that solve real needs - outperform the S&P 500 by 230% in revenue growth and 1,040% in EBIT” - Prophet Brand Relevance Index.

When the Brand Becomes the Center

Traditional brand building starts from the inside out - from the brand’s goals, ambitions, and self-image. It’s about what the brand wants to say and how loud it can say it. The brand becomes the hero, and consumers are expected to be the fans.

But in a world cluttered with brands competing for attention, “look at us” strategies are no longer effective.

Most companies also limit their view to the category they operate in, forgetting that consumers experience dozens of categories every day. Brand-centric thinking narrows perspective and hides opportunities to address human needs that lie beyond the competitive set.

People today don’t need more messages. They need meaning, empathy, and practical solutions.

When brands stop trying to be the hero of the story but the partner in people’s progress, trust replaces noise.

From Brand Building to Brand Solution Building

Brand Building asks: How do we make people love us?

Brand Solution Building asks: How can we make people’s lives better?

The first is self-focused and if brands were people, that approach would feel needy.

The second creates connection. When a brand helps people solve everyday challenges honestly and transparently, it earns understanding and trust.

“Purpose-driven brands grow 175% in valuation over time, compared to 70% for others” - Kantar Purpose 2024 Report.

By solving rather than selling, brands build relationships that last beyond campaigns.

Why This Matters Even More for Women

Nowhere is this gap more visible than in how the world builds brands for women.

Most don’t solve women’s problems - they add to them.

They speak from pressure, not understanding.

Beauty sells “anti-aging.”

Fitness sells “discipline.”

Fashion sells “confidence,” but dictates what it should look like.

Tech and finance promise to “empower women” while still designing through a male lens.

Brands keep addressing women’s aspirations but ignore their pressures – the systemic weights that shape how women live. Yet women don’t need to be fixed. They need to be understood.

When a brand helps release one of those pressures instead of adding another, it builds something rare: genuine connection.

“88% of customers who trust a brand will buy again - and trusted companies outperform peers by up to 400% in market value”— Deloitte Insights, 2023.

The Business Case for Brand Solution Building

Brands that lead with empathy, purpose, and problem-solving grow faster and stronger:

• Purpose-led brands achieve over 50% higher growth rates than competitors.

• Relevance and trust deliver 2- 4 times stronger business results.

• And when brands solve women’s needs, they often improve life for everyone.

The brands that will thrive tomorrow are those that listen more than they speak - that stop trying to be loved and start trying to be useful.

Design from lived insights, not assumptions.

Focus on human value before market value.

Measure success not just in sales, but in solutions that make life better.

At WeWill, we call this Brand Solution Building: creating brands that don’t just perform in markets, but improve the lives they touch.

Just imagine: a brand that solves problems becomes part of people’s lives, not just their shopping lists.