Welcome to 🔥” The Slap” 🔥, the official newsletter of The MisFits. Each week, we dive into what it takes to build a brand that slaps—covering everything from category design to creative bravery. We're not just about tips and tricks; we're about reshaping the market and making you a category of one. Visit our website | Listen to our mixtapes | Schedule a call
Let’s face it—most of yall’s brands are lost in the noise and have no way in hell of reaching your perfect customer.
We’ve been there before, and it sucks. It’s not your fault; you don’t know any better. But after you read today’s newsletter, you no longer have any excuse because you can’t say we didn't tell you! It’s time to stop following the rules that everyone else is playing and play a different game, one where you set the rules and put yourself in the best possible position to win at all times.
Today, we’re showing you how with our top five ways to radically “UnFu*ck Your Brand.”
1. Start with Category Design
Forget what you think you know about branding. Your brand doesn’t matter until you own the category.
A strong brand is the by-product of Category Design, which means you need to stop thinking about how to market your product and start thinking about how to create the market for your product. Don’t fight for space in someone else’s lane—build your own damn road.
Category Design 101:
Head-to-Head: Take on the giants and challenge the category leader, but do it on your own terms.
Example: Budweiser went head-to-head, dominating the beer market by making itself synonymous with “American Beer.”
Niche Down: Carve out a specific, underserved market where demand already exists.
Example: Red Stripe owned the tropical, laid-back beer vibe, leaning into Jamaica’s cultural influence.
Create a New Category: This is the boldest move. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s where the magic happens.
Example: Athletic Brewing created the non-alcoholic craft beer category, appealing to health-conscious drinkers who still want that IPA experience without the buzz.
If your current marketing and creative team doesn’t think like this, you should fire them. You’re playing to win, not compete.
2. Craft a Radically Different POV
The world doesn’t need another “best” product. It needs a product with a differentiated point of view. What’s your version of the future? How does it make today’s reality obsolete? Your POV should challenge the status quo and make people say, “Why hasn’t someone done this already?”
Ask Yourself: What do we see that no one else sees? What’s the broken part of our market? How can we fix it in a way that makes everyone else irrelevant?
Example: Dope Coffee believes coffee culture can be unapologetically Black and true to itself without conforming to the Starbucks model. They’re not selling just coffee—they’re selling an experience that’s authentic to Black culture.
3. Ditch the Traditional ‘Customer Avatar’
Too many brands obsess over perfecting their customer avatar, which leaves them with cookie-cutter personas that don’t inspire real action. Instead of thinking about demographics, think about psychographics and tribal identities. Who are the people who get you? The ones who feel like outsiders? Find your MisFits.
Find Your Tribe: What shared beliefs or values can you tap into? Forget trying to appeal to everyone—talk to the people who care about what you stand for.
Example: Patagonia built its brand around environmental activism, attracting outdoor enthusiasts who believe in protecting the planet—not just buying gear.
4. Embrace Creative Bravery
If your brand doesn’t feel risky, it’s probably too safe. Real brands push boundaries, break rules, and sometimes piss people off. That’s what makes them stand out. You need to figure out how much creative bravery you’re willing to deploy. How far are you willing to go to break free from the pack?
Level of Creative Bravery: On a scale of 1 to 10, how comfortable are you with taking risks? Can you dial it up a notch? If you’re at a 5, try a 7. If you’re at a 7, aim for a 9.
Example: Dollar Shave Club didn’t just sell razors—they took on the entire overpriced, overcomplicated shaving industry with a bold, irreverent video that instantly went viral.
5. Brand Consistency is Bullsh*t. Category Consistency is King.
Everyone says you need to be consistent with your brand. That’s not wrong, but it’s only half the story. If you’re not relentlessly pushing your category narrative, you’re missing the point. Your brand needs to be synonymous with your category. That way, when people think of the category, they think of you.
Category First: Always talk about the problem you solve before you talk about your brand. Educate the market on why your category matters.
Example: Tesla didn’t just sell electric cars—they sold the idea that the future of transportation must be sustainable. Now, Tesla and the electric vehicle category are practically one and the same.
Conclusion
There’s no easy way to unf*ck your brand, but there is a roadmap. It starts with category design and continues with radical differentiation, creative bravery, and category-first marketing. Know that you know, the next step is execution either on your own, or with us.
***P.S. If you're looking for personalized help to develop a winning category strategy and nail that first impression, review our “Welcome Deck” and then schedule some time to chat with us below.
Misfits don’t get into flow, we cook. That means you're locked in, head down, and in the zone. To help you get there, we stream the dopest mixtapes this side of the East Coast, thanks to our DJ friends at bunkr. Visit our website to stream them.
Additional Resources:
The Category Design Reading Lists