FOREWORD

“Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” This quote by the poet Rumi aptly captures the essence of how a business’ core philosophy should be, with the realisation that influence through purpose is more powerful than force.

We have been referring to a VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) world for some time; and perhaps we’re passing through the eye of the storm.

Geopolitical tensions and uncertainty are at an all-time high. The digital landscape has already changed every facet of consumers’ lives – and this is only the beginning. Technology, particularly AI influenced tech, is rewriting every aspect of the business world – a scale of disruption witnessed only during the Industrial Revolution.

Amid this growth and innovation, we are living in an extremely unequal world. The richest one percent of the world’s population holds 35-45 percent of global wealth. On the other hand, the bottom 50 percent of (roughly four billion people) holds less than two percent of the world’s wealth.

If we study the historical perspective, there are two distinct phases where wealth concentration changed – beginning in the 1980s through to the 2000s: policies of deregulation, globalisation and tax cuts for the wealthy in many countries allowed for a massive accumulation of wealth at the top. The top one percent began to pull away from the rest of the population.

Subsequently, the COVID-19 pandemic acted as a major accelerator. While the global economy faced a severe downturn and millions lost their jobs, the world’s billionaires saw their wealth soar to record levels. The wealth of billionaires rose more in the first two years of the pandemic than in the previous 23 years combined.

If brands are a manifestation of capitalism, collectively they have a big role to play. At the core of brands lies the thinking that they are created in the minds of the consumer – a collective reflection of multiple parameters, starting with core functional benefits or service delivery, which transcend into the overall user experience: from awareness to purchase and usage, and everything in between.

In that context, people call for brands to be socially responsible, and play a more positive role in shaping and creating an inclusive and sustainable society. Brands that do it right become Superbrands.

These broad contexts and shifts in consumer preferences are forcing brands to transform. Every word, gesture and action is amplified today – and remembered. They’re created mostly by people, by us – and each message has a massive impact on our psyche.

In this environment, brands are no longer judged by visibility alone. They are judged by authenticity, trust and purpose.

In an age of misinformation and division, people are searching for anchors of credibility. They’re looking for institutions they can trust.

A 2025 Harvard survey shared that trust by Gen Z in major US institutions is extremely low: the federal government (19%), congress (18%), the presidency (23%) and the supreme court (29%).

There is a clear opportunity for businesses and brands to stand for something bigger – brands that can be a force for good.

Around the world, we see powerful examples. Patagonia has built a global movement by putting the planet before profit. Its message is clear: buy only what you need, protect what we all share.

And in South Korea, Samsung has not only become a global technology leader, it’s transformed the image of an entire nation – showing the world what Korean innovation can mean. Brands are successful not simply because they sell products but because they shape culture, drive innovation and uplift society.

This lesson is particularly important for users in South Asia. As our nations move towards the next chapter of inclusive development, our brands must step up. We don’t only need companies that win in the marketplace; we need brands that help build the future of nations.

And this idea is captured beautifully in Clayton Christensen’s Prosperity Paradox. He reminds us that true prosperity doesn’t come from aid or top-down projects; it comes from market creating innovations – from businesses that solve real problems, empower ordinary people and open doors of opportunity. That is the path for our brands too.

And if we want a deeper guide, we can turn to nature itself. In this regard, we can take inspiration from nature philosopher John Muir, who states: “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”

In nature, growth is never selfish. A tree does not grow only for itself. A river does not flow only for itself. True growth is regenerative. It uplifts the whole ecosystem. That is the philosophy we need for brands: to grow not in isolation but in harmony; to innovate not just for profit but for people and the planet; and to rise not just as businesses but as forces of good that help society rise with them.

Brands need to embrace the challenge – the calling of your brand – to be like the tree, the river, the light; growing not only for yourself but for the ecosystem around you. And to all aspiring brands, this should be both an inspiration and a responsibility.

Because when brands grow with purpose, nations grow with dignity. And when we create Superbrands, we’re not only building companies; we are building the foundations of a stronger, more resilient nation. Brands need to make the commitment to shaping a more inclusive and inspiring tomorrow.

The highest form of success is when our growth helps the world around us grow.