It’s easy to overcomplicate branding.
A lot of marketers do—getting lost in purpose, personas, and PowerPoint frameworks. If you ask them to name the one thing that actually builds long-term commercial value, you might get a blank stare.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray—without ever stepping into a strategy workshop—has absolutely nailed it.
Post-retirement, still a brand powerhouse
Andy Murray is not a marketer. But—consciously or unconsciously—he seems to understand something many in our profession still miss.
Distinctiveness is everything.
Post-retirement, Murray’s brand hasn’t faded. It’s exploded. Just in the last few weeks he’s partnered with brands like Walkers Shortbread and Albert Bartlett. He’s investing, launching, expanding. And no, it’s not just because he won Wimbledon.
It’s because he stands out. Instantly. Clearly. Consistently.
Dour. Honest. Scottish. Distinctive.
In a sea of media-trained, personality-free athletes, Murray always cut differently. Dour. Honest. Self-deprecating. Proudly Scottish. He didn’t chase likeability. He stayed himself, even to a fault. And in time, that made him distinctive. Which made him valuable.
Because that’s how distinctiveness works. It’s not about being liked. It’s about being remembered. Understood. It almost doesn’t matter what you’re known for – as long as you’re known for something.
For brands seeking partnerships, they don’t just want a famous face. They want one that’s clearly known for something that also benefits them.
Walkers get a younger, prouder Scottishness with a dry twist. Albert Bartlett get health cues, Britishness, and credibility, with a touch of luxury on top. That combination isn’t generic. It’s distinctively Murray.
The strategic bit too many miss
And here’s the bit marketers often overlook: distinctiveness comes from consistency.
Too many brands try to be everything to everyone. They shift tone, switch look and feel, and chase every new trend. The result? No memory structure. No recognition. No lasting value.
Being famous isn’t hard. Being distinctively famous? That’s where the power lies.
So yes – Andy Murray is a case study. But not in sports marketing. In brand strategy.
Be known for something. Be consistent. Be you, even to a fault.
That’s distinctiveness.
And the challenge for marketers now is simple: stop chasing everything. Start building something. Do it well enough, and people will know exactly who you are—even when you’re no longer in the spotlight.
