• Table of Contents

  • Marketing Like a Villain: Why Your Brand Needs a Nemesis
  • The Psychology of the Nemesis
  • Truth Bomb:
  • Step 1: Identify Your Brand’s Nemesis
  • Step 2: Make It Personal (But Not Petty)
  • Step 3: Build Your Brand Story Around the Battle
  • Step 4: Don’t Be Afraid to Polarize
  • Real Talk: The Brands That Did It Right
  • 1. Oatly
  • 2. Tesla
  • 3. Notion
  • How to Find Your Nemesis in 10 Minutes or Less
  • Final Word: Be the Brand That Fights Back

Marketing Like a Villain: Why Your Brand Needs a Nemesis

Let’s get one thing straight: heroes are boring. Superman? Snoozefest. Captain America? Yawn. You know who gets the best lines, the best outfits, and the best origin stories? The villain. And in marketing, if you want your brand to stand out, you need to think like one.

Now, I’m not saying you should start twirling your mustache and tying customers to railroad tracks. But I am saying your brand needs a clear enemy. A villain. A nemesis. Something to fight against. Because nothing rallies people like a common foe—and nothing builds a brand like a bold stand.

The Psychology of the Nemesis

Humans are tribal. We love a good us-vs-them narrative. It’s why sports rivalries exist. It’s why political campaigns get heated. And it’s why brands that take a stand (and take a swing) win hearts, minds, and market share.

When you define what you’re against, you clarify what you stand for. It’s not just positioning—it’s purpose with a punch.

Truth Bomb:

“If your brand doesn’t have an enemy, it’s probably not interesting enough to follow.”

Step 1: Identify Your Brand’s Nemesis

This isn’t about naming names (unless you’re feeling spicy). It’s about identifying the idea, behavior, or status quo your brand exists to destroy.

• Dollar Shave Club vs. overpriced razors and bloated legacy brands
• Apple (early days) vs. conformity and corporate dullness
• Patagonia vs. fast fashion and environmental apathy
• Liquid Death vs. boring bottled water and plastic pollution

Notice a pattern? These brands didn’t just sell products—they sold rebellion. They picked a fight. And they won.

Step 2: Make It Personal (But Not Petty)

Your nemesis should be big enough to matter, but not so specific it feels like a subtweet. You’re not here to start Twitter beef (unless you’re Wendy’s, in which case, carry on).

Instead, frame your enemy as a shared problem your audience wants to solve. Make it about them, not just you.

Example: If you’re a project management tool, your nemesis isn’t “Asana.” It’s “chaotic teams and missed deadlines.” That’s a villain everyone wants to punch in the face.

Step 3: Build Your Brand Story Around the Battle

Once you’ve got your nemesis, weave it into your messaging like a Marvel origin story. Your brand is the underdog hero, the rebel with a cause, the startup with a slingshot aimed at Goliath.

Use your enemy to:

• Shape your tone of voice (bold, irreverent, mission-driven)
• Guide your content strategy (educate, entertain, and rally the troops)
• Fuel your campaigns (launches, stunts, and social moments)

Remember: people don’t buy what you do—they buy what you believe. And nothing makes beliefs clearer than a good ol’ fashioned showdown.

Step 4: Don’t Be Afraid to Polarize

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if everyone likes your brand, no one loves it. Vanilla doesn’t go viral. Safe doesn’t sell. And middle-of-the-road is where brands go to die (right next to Blockbuster and MySpace).

So go ahead—draw a line in the sand. Take a stand. Be bold enough to repel the wrong people so you can attract the right ones.

Because in marketing, the opposite of love isn’t hate—it’s indifference.

Real Talk: The Brands That Did It Right

1. Oatly

Oatly didn’t just sell oat milk—they declared war on Big Dairy. Their ads were weird, loud, and unapologetically anti-milk. And guess what? Sales exploded. They turned a niche product into a cultural movement.

2. Tesla

Elon Musk didn’t just build electric cars—he built a brand that flipped the bird to the entire auto industry. Gasoline? Outdated. Dealerships? Dead. Tesla’s enemy was the old way of doing things, and that made them the future.

3. Notion

Notion didn’t just say “we’re a productivity tool.” They said “we’re the antidote to app overload.” Their nemesis? The Frankenstein monster of 12 different tools duct-taped together. They offered elegant simplicity in a world of digital chaos.

How to Find Your Nemesis in 10 Minutes or Less

Feeling stuck? Here’s a quick exercise to get your villain juices flowing (ew, but you get it):

• Ask: What frustrates your customers the most?
• Ask: What outdated norm are you challenging?
• Ask: What would your brand protest with a witty sign and a megaphone?
• Ask: What’s the “evil empire” in your industry?

Write down the answers. Circle the one that makes you want to throw a chair. That’s your nemesis.

Final Word: Be the Brand That Fights Back

In a world of beige brands and buzzword soup, the ones that win are the ones that fight. Not with fists, but with purpose. With clarity. With a mission that matters and a message that hits like a mic drop.

So go ahead—find your villain