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Podcast Episode

BUILDING BRANDS THAT STAND THE TEST OF TIME w. Fatima Saliu

What’s the Big Idea?··20 November 2025·55 min

About this episode

What separates brands that fade away from those that command premium prices and loyal customers for decades? In this conversation, global brand strategist Fatima Saliu shares hard-won lessons from repositioning legacy brands at Meta, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, and Disney—and how those same principles apply whether you're a Fortune 500 company or a bootstrapped startup. You'll discover why brand awareness and brand equity aren't the same thing, the critical difference between renovation and reinvention, and why expanding too fast might be the worst "good problem" to have. Fatima also shares the remarkable story of how consumer insights transformed KY Jelly from a hidden, embarrassing product into a category that tripled in size within a year—and what that teaches us about creating valuable experiences instead of just solving problems. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:55 Fatima's Current Work and Insights 02:00 Challenges in Small vs. Large Brands 05:16 Brand Strategy at Meta 10:06 Product Innovation and Consumer Insights 16:58 Reinventing KY Jelly at J&J 25:48 The Importance of Brand and Experience 30:29 The Power of Brand Experience 33:05 User Journey and Holistic Experience 34:56 Challenges with AI and Overexpansion 37:43 Case Studies: Kava and Slutty Vegan 41:11 Investor Expectations and Realistic Goals 44:13 The Role of Marketers as Business Co-Creators 49:38 Rapid Fire Questions and Insights 52:50 Final Thoughts and Farewell Follow Jim DiPiazza and Fatima Saliu: Connect with Jim DiPiazza:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimdipiazza/ Website: https://www.jimdipiazza.com/ Connect with Fatima Saliu:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fatima-s-aa01113/