Why most branding agencies are stuck in the past

In an era defined by digital-first experiences and hyper-connected audiences, it’s surprising how many branding agencies are still operating with mindsets and methodologies, better suited to the 1980s.

The industry has evolved. Consumers have evolved. Brands have evolved. Yet many agencies continue to deliver static outputs: a logo, a style guide, a polished deck. As if that’s enough to launch a brand in 2025.

The reality? Today, the brand is the product. It’s an app. A user experience. A system that lives and breathes across dozens of digital and physical touchpoints, always evolving, always interacting. And most agencies aren’t built to handle that level of complexity.

The Brand Is No Longer Separate From the Product:

For high-growth companies, the line between brand and product has disappeared. You can’t develop your brand strategy in isolation and then throw it over the wall to your digital agency for execution.

That fragmented approach belongs to another era.

You need both sides working together, seamlessly. Strategy and UX. Brand and product. Meaning and mechanics. Anything less creates disjointed experiences—and forgettable brands.

Why Digital Agencies Aren’t the Answer Either:

If branding agencies are stuck in the past, many digital agencies are stuck in the tactical.

They move fast. They ship MVPs. They test buttons, colors, and flows. But they often lack the strategic depth to build meaning into those experiences. The result? Slick interfaces without a soul. Functional products that fail to connect emotionally or culturally.

You end up with a product that works, but doesn’t resonate.

The Core Problem Is Methodology, Not Talent:

The challenge isn’t about hiring better designers or strategists. It’s about rethinking how you build.

At Erretres, we’ve spent over two decades helping brands and products scale globally by integrating branding and digital from day one. We call it the RRRupture Methodology, an approach that fuses brand strategy, product design, and execution into a single, collaborative process.

We believe brands today need to live like software: flexible, evolving, and embedded into every touchpoint. They need to grow alongside the companies behind them. And that requires a branding and digital agency that doesn’t just deliver assets, but builds systems for velocity, consistency, and relevance.

At Erretres, we’ve applied this thinking to startups, scaleups, and global icons.

We’ve helped brands move beyond the pitch deck and into the product, creating experiences that adapt, grow, and resonate across markets and cultures.

It’s Time to Rethink What a Branding Agency Is:

Does the term “branding agency” even capture what brands need today?

Maybe not.

But the need for a partner that combines brand, product, and experience has never been more urgent.

If you’re looking for a partner that works like a startup but thinks like a strategist, one that fuses branding and digital into a single, integrated mindset, then we should talk.

Because when you only get one shot to launch a product that matters, choosing the right partner isn’t just important. It’s everything. Erretres helps ambitious brands build for today’s reality, where brand and product are inseparable. Let’s build the next big thing together.