How to make your brand stand out: lessons from Burberry and Brand Britain

Brand Britain at a glance:

• Brand Britain isn’t just about heritage; it’s about identity, story and distinctiveness.

• Ipsos research: Brand Britain boosts sales (52% of exporters say so) and increases emotional closeness (+43%).

• The DNA of British brands: heritage & endurance, everyday integration, wit & understatement, tradition with a twist.

• Burberry shows how utility, culture and iconic design create a brand that lasts.

• Newer brands like Charlie Bigham’s and Monzo prove familiarity and distinctiveness still win today.

• Brands must tread carefully: focus on community patriotism, not politically charged campaigns.

Why Brand Britain still matters (and pays)

A major study by Ipsos, JKR and the British Chambers of Commerce found that people read Britain’s brand personality as “traditional with a twist” – enduring, witty and adaptable. And the commercial impact is clear:

• 52% of UK exporters say the Brand Britain image helps them grow and increase sales.
• Brands leaning into British cues see a 43% uplift in “brand closeness” (a strong predictor of loyalty).
• And around a third of consumers say they actively try to buy ‘British’.

The DNA of Brand Britain and how to make your brand stand out

Ironically, you don’t need to be British to be perceived as a British brand. What matters is whether your brand carries the characteristics people associate with Britain’s character.

Heritage and endurance

Brands with deep roots that still resonate: Burberry (1856), Barbour (1894), Wedgwood (1759), Rolls-Royce (1906) – and in food, Cadbury (1824) and HP Sauce (1875). Longevity itself becomes a distinctive asset.

Everyday integration

Brands that become part of daily rituals: a Greggs sausage roll, a Yorkshire Tea brew, or Beans means Heinz. Even if Heinz is American by origin, it feels British because baked beans and ketchup are woven into our mealtime culture.

Wit and understatement

That instantly recognisable British tone – warm, dry, a touch self-deprecating. Marmite’s “Love it or hate it” campaign is a perfect example of this blend of honesty, humbleness and humour.

Tradition with a twist

Icons refreshed, not replaced. The Mini may be German-owned today, but it still rolls off UK production lines and carries all the 1960s British cool of its origins. Dr. Martens, meanwhile, grew from a Northampton work boot into a counter-culture symbol worn worldwide. Both prove that Britishness is as much about cultural identity as it is about birthplace.

Why Brand Britain works in our brains

Part of Brand Britain’s power is familiarity. In marketing neuroscience, the brain prefers what it recognises. It processes it faster and with less effort, which tends to feel safer and more likeable. Distinctive assets (colours, shapes, patterns) act as memory shortcuts, making brands easier to spot and recall at the shelf or in the app. For British consumers, cues like a Burberry trench, Cadbury purple or Marmite’s honesty feel instantly “known” – and therefore trusted.

Newer names proving the point: Charlie Bigham’s and Monzo

Brand Britain isn’t just about heritage names like Burberry or Cadbury. Some much newer brands have also shown how powerful it can be when you tap into familiar British cues.

Take Charlie Bigham’s. Launched in 1996 but really booming in the last decade, the company has built a ready-meal brand that feels home-cooked rather than mass-produced. Its wooden trays stand out instantly in supermarket aisles, but more importantly, the meals themselves lean into familiar British comfort food – fish pie, lasagne, cottage pie. These are the kinds of dishes people already know and love, which makes the brand feel reassuring and trustworthy. Bigham’s doesn’t try to reinvent what we eat; instead, it elevates it with a sense of care and craft. That familiarity, combined with a distinctive look, has made it one of the UK’s most successful food brands in recent years.

Or consider Monzo, the challenger bank that burst onto the scene in 2015. Banking is hardly exciting, but Monzo made itself part of everyday British life almost overnight. The hot coral bank card became a talking point in pubs and coffee shops because you could spot it instantly across the table. Features like bill-splitting and “shared tabs” felt tailor-made for British social life – whether that’s splitting the cost of a curry or keeping track of a round at the pub. Monzo’s success shows that even in a modern, digital category, the same rules apply: if you make yourself easy to recognise and easy to integrate into people’s daily routines, you feel familiar fast. And in marketing, familiarity often wins.

Let’s head back to our example: Burberry

We opened with pride that Burberry began in Basingstoke in 1856. Beyond birthplace, why does it feel so unmistakably British?

• Innovation with purpose. Thomas Burberry tackled a real British problem – rain – by inventing gabardine, a breathable, weather-resistant fabric. The coat earned its place because it worked.
• Designs that became icons. The trench started as officers’ kit in WWI. Officers wore it home, civilians copied it, and it spread because it was useful and sharp. Then film and TV made it aspirational: Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s turned a practical coat into a chic global style code. That’s the mechanism: utility → everyday adoption → star visibility → icon.
• Unmistakable brand codes. The trench silhouette, the Burberry check, the equestrian knight. Recognisable at a glance. Refreshed rather than reinvented. Distinctive assets do the memory work.
• Cultural credibility. From outfitting explorers to today’s red carpets, Burberry shows up in real life and popular culture, not just in ads, which keeps the Britishness feeling lived, not labelled.

The winning Brand Britain formula: solve a real problem, make it visible, give it memorable codes – and when celebrities and culture pick it up, it becomes desirable and enduring. That’s why Burberry sits in The Brand Britain Hall of Fame – and why the same strategy works for brands that weren’t born here, too.

And while most businesses aren’t Burberry, the lesson is clear: if you want staying power, build distinctive codes, tie them to genuine purpose, and keep them relevant without losing sight of your roots.

When patriotism becomes politically charged

Recent “raise your colours” campaigns – flags strung across high streets, St George’s crosses painted on roundabouts, and subsequent removals on safety grounds – highlight how quickly patriotic symbols can become politically charged.

A flag on your pack may be read as warm heritage by one customer and a political statement by another. Intention matters less than interpretation – and attention gained this way rarely builds lasting loyalty or a successful strategy for those searching for the answers of how to make your brand stand out.

Unless, of course, you’re Banksy. His entire persona is built on mystery – we don’t know who he is, and that anonymity has become part of the brand. Instead of flags, he uses stencils and satire to hold up a mirror to society. His art isn’t direct anger; it’s an enlightening glimpse into life’s turbulence, delivered with skill, irony and a distinctly British sophistication. That’s why politically charged symbols in his hands become cultural moments (at eye watering prices), admired rather than divisive. But for commercial brands, the lesson is clear: unless your DNA is built on provocation and mystery, tread carefully. Lean instead on the unifying strands of Brand Britain – humour, civility, and everyday rituals that bring people together.

The Brevity Marketing strategy: using Brand Britain without the blowback

Lead with distinctiveness, not debate.
Make your assets unmistakeable: logo, pack, tone. Borrow from the “traditional with a twist” palette – craft + wit – rather than politically charged symbols.

Practise community patriotism.
Celebrate everyday British rituals: the 4pm brew, the Sunday roast, neighbourly favours. Become part of local groups such as People Planet Pint and Basingstoke Business for Good. Help out at a charity like Inspero or support fundraising initiatives of Home-Start Basingstoke, St. Michael’s Hospice and The Pink Place. Sponsor the local football team.

Stress-test symbolism.
Before using heritage motifs, test how they land across different groups. Prepare guardrails to steer back to universal values if needed.

Anchor to brand truths, not news cycles.
Develop a one-page “Britishness brief”: which traits fit your brand (e.g., reliability, humour, craftsmanship) and which you’ll avoid.

Measure what matters.
Look beyond clicks. Track brand closeness and distinctive asset recall. Remember the report’s +43% uplift in closeness for brands that successfully tap British identity.

Bottom line: how to make your brand stand out

Brand Britain still has pulling power – higher sales for exporters, growth at home, and stronger consumer bonds when it’s expressed well. But identity is sensitive ground. Brands that lean into humour, rituals and community spirit – rather than flag-waving campaigns – stay distinctive, protect reputation, and build equity that lasts long after the bunting comes down.

Want to find your brand’s trench coat moment? Put the kettle on with us. We’ll bring the biscuits.