What a bus conductor taught me about branding

I was 8.

In a sweaty bus stand. Staring at a movie poster. The hero looked… like me.

Brown skin. Big moustache. Sunglasses like he meant it. It wasn’t one of those polished north Indian poster boys I was used to.

It was him.

Rajinikanth.

Cigarette mid-air. Chin tilted slightly upward like he owned the sun.

That image changed everything.

Until then, I believed what most of India believed: To be the face of a brand, you had to be fair-skinned and flawless.

That belief ran deep. In movies. In ads. In schools. Even in homes. Fairness creams sold like hope in a tube.

I thought: to stand out, I had to blend in first. Use softer words. Neater hair. Market like everyone else.

I tried it too.

Brushed the edges of my brand. Made things “palatable.” Smoothed over the rough bits I thought people wouldn’t get.

Because nobody connects with perfect. They connect with possible.

And Rajinikanth wasn’t perfect.
He was possible.

A former bus conductor. Dusky-skinned. No fancy lineage. Just pure, uncut swagger.

And billions followed him because he made them feel seen. Not sold to.

Seen.

That’s when it hit me.

Your brand isn’t built on how you look.

It’s built on how others see themselves through you. It’s not about chasing polish. It’s about choosing presence.

When Rajini said “yen vazhi, thani vazhi,” it wasn’t just a punchline. It was a positioning statement.

And branding is just that — not shouting louder, but standing clearer. So if you’re building something today…

Here’s what I learned (the hard way):

• Don’t bleach your brand’s personality just to be liked.

• Don’t mimic the “market leaders” if they don’t mirror your story.

• Don’t flatten your voice just because it feels safer.

The safest thing is standing for something.

Something real.

Because when people see a bit of themselves in your brand? They don’t just buy. They believe.

And belief beats virality every single time.

Building your brand? Ditch the fairness filter and reply and tell me: What’s one part of you your brand hides but shouldn’t?

P.S. Got a buddy who’d appreciate this? Forward the email.

Found this in your inbox by surprise? You can signup right here! :p

Outrank Your Competitors on Amazon—Fast!

Stack Influence automates micro-influencer collaborations to significantly boost external traffic and organic rankings on Amazon. Trusted by top brands like Magic Spoon and Unilever, it's your secret to dominating page one.

Get 10% OFF this month!