Evolving Brand Relationships: From Transactional to Transformational.

In the mid-1990s, in two very different corners of Austria, two children sat down at two very different pianos.

One had the city’s top teacher. The kind who drilled scales, praised precision, and prepared his students for gold medals. Five years later, this student could play Mozart with his eyes closed. His wall was covered in framed certificates.

The other? Her teacher didn’t care much for scales. Much of what she learned was self-taught. Raised in rural Styria, she closed her eyes while playing, improvised freely, and made the piano more than an instrument — it became an emotional outlet, a voice, a presence.

One learned to play the piano. The other became Soap&Skin — Anja Plaschg, one of Austria’s most celebrated experimental musicians.

One learned to play the piano. The other learned to become a pianist.

What separated them wasn’t talent. It was the nature of the relationship.

One was a transaction. The other was a transformation.

And that’s where we begin.

Why Transactional Brands Are Everywhere (And Why It’s Not Enough)

Transactional thinking is everywhere. Founders are taught to focus on value. Solve the problem. Price it right. Make the funnel work.

And it does work — until it doesn’t.

Because value alone doesn’t build memory. It doesn’t create ritual. And it certainly doesn’t build loyalty. Value is what gets someone to buy once. Transformation is what makes them come back.

Transactional brands are vending machines: you put in money, get something out, and leave.

But people don’t form relationships with vending machines.

What Makes a Brand Transformational?

Transformational brands don’t just answer needs. They support personal change.

They don’t ask, “What do you want from us?” They ask, “Who are you trying to become — and how can we help you get there?”

They align with the internal story their customer is already living:

• Cadence isn’t about travel containers. It’s about being intentional on the move.
• DEUX isn’t about cookies. It’s about indulging without shame — and rewriting wellness with joy.
• La Bouche Rouge isn’t about lipstick. It’s about turning sustainability into a daily ritual of self-expression.

These brands don’t just deliver products. They deliver identity.

You don’t just use the thing. You become someone because of it.

That’s the difference.

Are You a Transactional or a Transformational Brand?

Let’s make it simple.

Transactional Brands:

• Optimize for efficiency
• Talk about themselves
• Rely on campaigns
• Lose customers when something cheaper comes along

Transformational Brands:

• Build emotional rituals
• Talk about their customer’s journey
• Rely on shared meaning
• Keep customers because they reflect what those customers want to be

Ask yourself:

Are we solving a short-term need, or serving a long-term identity?

Because one leads to a sale. The other leads to a following.

Storytelling Is the Architecture of Transformation

Here’s where it gets interesting.

Every transformation follows a pattern. It’s not chaos. It’s a narrative arc.

That’s why storytelling is so powerful — it helps people make sense of their shift.

• Where they are now (tension)
• What they want (desire)
• What stands in their way (conflict)
• Who helps them get there (you)

A brand doesn’t just tell a story. It gives the customer a story to live into.

In a world that’s constantly reshuffling our sense of self, that’s not just helpful. It’s irreplaceable.

Mentors Work With Transformation

In every story we love, the hero is not alone.

They have a mentor — someone who doesn’t steal the spotlight, but guides the journey.

Brands should take note.

You’re not the hero. You’re the mentor.

The Core Truth: What do you believe?
The Conflict: What challenge is your audience facing?
The Transformation: Who are they becoming with your help?

Mentors show up consistently. Quietly. Meaningfully. They don’t promise comfort. They promise change.

And in a noisy world, that promise cuts through.

The Brand Is Not the Product. The Brand Is the Shift.

The brands we stay loyal to — the ones we recommend, remember, and return to — aren’t just useful.

They helped us become someone.

They were there not just when we wanted something, but when we were ready to grow.

That’s the difference between being bought and being invited into someone’s life.

So ask yourself (or your brand):

• What identity do we reinforce?
• What change do we help enable?
• Are we a product — or are we a turning point?

Because the brands that matter most aren’t the ones that show up once. They’re the ones who stay with us through the shift.

📘 Want to build a brand that transforms, not just transacts?

Explore The Mentor Brand — my new book on building purpose-driven, story-rich, emotionally resonant brands that people never want to leave.