Every Brand Needs An Enemy (And Why Every Brand That Stands Out Has One)

You know you need a point of view, but every time you try to define it, you draw a blank or spiral into overthinking. Here's how to find what you already believe and finally say it out loud.

New here? This essay is part of a series on disruptive branding—building a brand that stands out without constant visibility or performative marketing. If you’re wondering what that means or why it matters, start with What If Your Brand Could Attract Your People Before You Said a Word? and You Don’t Have a Content Problem, You Have a Contrast Problem.

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So you know your brand needs contrast. - that gap between you and everyone else that makes people stop scrolling and think, “Wait, this is different.” You know “blending in” is costing you. You know better content won’t fix a brand that has nothing distinctive to say.

But here’s where most founders get stuck: they try to figure out what they stand for without first getting clear on what they stand against.

And that’s backwards.

Because the fastest way to define your brand isn’t to stare at a blank page trying to articulate your values. It’s to name your enemy. The thing you’re pushing against. The idea, the norm, the advice, the system that you reject.

Your enemy defines your stance. And your stance creates the contrast that makes your brand impossible to ignore.

What a Strategic Enemy Actually Is

Let me be clear: a strategic enemy isn’t a competitor. It’s not another person or business you’re trying to take down. That’s petty, and it’s also a terrible brand strategy.

A strategic enemy is an idea. A belief. A norm. A way of doing things that you think is broken, outdated, or flat-out wrong.

It’s the mainstream advice that makes you cringe. The industry standard that doesn’t actually serve people. The “best practice” that’s really just lazy thinking everyone accepted without questioning.

When you name that enemy clearly, you give your audience something to rally around. You stop being just another option and start being a flag they can stand behind.

Here’s my strategic enemy: performative marketing; the pressure to constantly show up, show your face, share your life, and treat visibility like a full-time job just to get noticed online.

That’s what I’m against. And because I’m against it, my stance becomes clear: I believe your brand should do the heavy lifting so you don’t have to perform your way into visibility. Disruptive branding over constant content. Meaning over volume. Strategy over showing up and hoping for the best.

See how that works? The enemy creates the stance. The stance creates the contrast. You don’t have to invent your positioning from scratch; you just have to name what you’re pushing against, and the rest follows.

Why Enemies Work Better Than Values

Most branding advice tells you to start with your values. Figure out what you believe in. Define your mission and write your purpose statement. And that’s fine, but it usually leads to vague, forgettable positioning. “I value authenticity and connection.” Great. So does literally everyone else.

Enemies are different; they are specific and create tension.

When you say “I’m against X,” you immediately imply what you’re for. You don’t have to spell it out because it’s obvious. The contrast is built in.

Think about it this way: saying “I believe in helping people succeed” means nothing. Saying “I’m against the hustle-culture advice that’s burning founders out” means everything. It tells people exactly where you stand without you having to explain your entire philosophy.

Enemies also attract the right people faster. When someone reads your content and thinks, “Yes, I hate that thing too,” you’ve created an instant bond. You’re not just a service provider anymore. You’re an ally in a shared fight.

The Four Types of Strategic Enemies

Not all enemies are the same. Here are four categories to help you find yours.

1. Bad advice that’s become gospel

What advice in your industry do people repeat without questioning? What “rules” do experts teach that you think are actually harmful? What best practices have you seen backfire over and over?

Example: “You have to post every day to grow.” “You need to niche down to one tiny thing.” “You have to show your face to build trust.”

If advice like this makes your eye twitch, you’ve found a potential enemy.

2. Broken systems or industry norms

What’s the standard way things are done in your space, and why is it failing people? What do the big players do that doesn’t actually serve clients? What industry norm have you rejected in how you run your own business?

Example: The agency model that charges premium prices for junior work. The coaching industry’s obsession with “mindset” over strategy. The branding world’s focus on aesthetics over meaning.

If there’s a system everyone accepts but you refuse to participate in, that’s an enemy.

3. False beliefs your audience holds

What does your ideal client believe that’s keeping them stuck? What assumption have they made about what they need that’s actually the wrong diagnosis? What lie have they been sold about how success works?

Example: “I need more confidence before I can put myself out there.” “My brand isn’t working because I’m not consistent enough.” “I just need to find the right content strategy.”

If your clients come to you believing something that you know isn’t true, the false belief is an enemy you can fight together.

4. Cultural or industry trends you reject

What’s trending in your space that you think is toxic, unsustainable, or just plain stupid? What direction is your industry heading that you refuse to follow? What does everyone seem to be celebrating that you see as a problem?

Example: The rise of AI-generated everything without any human perspective. The glorification of overwork disguised as “passion.” The pressure to turn every founder into a personal brand influencer.

If there’s a trend you’re actively resisting, that resistance is an enemy.

How to Find Your Enemy

Here’s a simple process to uncover yours.

Step 1: List your frustrations.

What makes you angry about your industry? What advice makes you roll your eyes out loud? What do you see other businesses doing that you’d never do? Write down everything, don’t filter.

Step 2: Look for patterns.

Which frustrations keep coming up? Which ones have the most heat behind them? Which ones do you find yourself ranting about to friends or in your content?

Step 3: Name the enemy specifically.

Turn your frustration into a clear statement: “I’m against [X].” Make it specific enough that someone could disagree with you. If everyone would agree, it’s not an enemy, it’s just common sense.

Step 4: Define what you’re for.

Once you’ve named what you’re against, the opposite becomes your stance. “I’m against X, so I’m for Y.” This is your positioning in one sentence.

What Changes When You Have an Enemy

Once you’ve named your enemy, everything gets clearer.

Your content has direction. You’re not scrambling for ideas because you know what you’re here to fight against. Every piece of content either names the enemy, exposes its damage, or offers an alternative.

Your messaging gets sharper. You stop watering down your voice and start taking a clear position. The vagueness disappears because you’ve drawn a line.

Your audience feels something. They’re not just passively consuming your content; they’re nodding along, feeling seen, maybe even a little fired up. You’ve given them something to believe in.

The right people find you faster. Your enemy acts as a filter. People who share your frustration lean in. People who don’t, scroll past. That’s the system working exactly as it should.

The Trap to Avoid

One warning: your enemy has to be real.

Don’t manufacture outrage. Don’t pick a fight just for attention. Don’t position yourself against something you don’t actually care about because it seems strategic.

People can smell fake conviction from a mile away. If you’re going to stand against something, you have to mean it. The heat has to be genuine.

The good news? If you’ve been in your industry for any amount of time, you already have real frustrations. You’ve already seen what doesn’t work, what harms people, what needs to change. You don’t have to invent an enemy, you just have to name the one you’ve been silently fighting all along.

Your Next Step

Here’s what I want you to do.

Write down this sentence and fill in the blank: “I’m against _______________.”

Make it specific. Make it something that has heat for you, something that some people in your industry might actually defend.

Then flip it: “Because I’m against X, I’m for Y.”

That’s your strategic stance. That’s where your contrast comes from. That’s the foundation of a brand that actually stands for something.

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Hi, I’m Jessica.

So glad you’re here reading my stuff. Thank you for that!

I help quiet founders build brands that stand out without the constant visibility grind. Disruptive branding, sharp positioning, and strategy that works even if you hate being on camera. Most strategists talk about alignment. I talk about opposition.

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