Okay, so here is a phrase that I never though I’ll say in my life. “I’m about to geek out over a crocodile and a tennis player” and trust me, this ties straight back to how you position your business (and, frankly, charge what you’re worth).
A while back, I’m scrolling through product launch headlines.
Suddenly, there it is: Lacoste, that old-school French brand, has swapped their iconic crocodile logo. For a GOAT for Novak Djokovic.
At first, I figure it’s just another marketing stunt. But damn, the more I read, the more I realize — this is branding at its highest level.
And it got me thinking (and digging),
How does a brand with a green crocodile that your granddad wore, suddenly end up honoring a Serbian tennis phenom in a way that feels modern, global, and straight-up bold?
Most brands cling to their logos like a life raft. But Lacoste? They play offense.
It's not just a logo. It's a signal. That’s when the rabbit-hole opened, because I started wondering, how the hell did Lacoste stay so damn relevant for almost a century?
And why do so many founders (maybe you?) struggle to get remembered, let alone revered?
After that campaign, Lacoste’s numbers didn’t just bump.
The brand is now nearing €3 billion in annual revenue. That’s almost $3.2 billion, just from selling what, at first glance, are “basic” polos and leisurewear.
Pause for a second. Let that sink in.
There are people right now sweating over clever ads, tweaking website copy, and grinding out content. Meanwhile, Lacoste is crushing entire countries with one well-placed, bold branding move and a damn tennis partnership.
Why?
Because they understand this: Brand is built in the mind, not the product.
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Here’s where I'll get straight with you.
I coach founders and copywriters who spend months (or years) agonizing over taglines, product features, and “what’s trending.” Most of them and I’ve been there — default to what feels safe: look-alike offers, borrowed language, warmed-over hero shots.
But safe is invisible.
Safe is forgettable.
Safe is what happens when fear steers the bus.
Meanwhile, the true winners?
They get loud about what makes them weird. They double down on heritage or personality. They intentionally squeeze the market, owning one strong position so hard everyone else gets squeezed out.
Lacoste could’ve stayed “heritage tennis fashion.” Instead, they got loud about the quirky story of René Lacoste, tennis legend, crocodile, and disruptor.
They turned a damn animal into a timeless symbol.
Then, 90 years on, they switch up the logo (just for one campaign!) and make it all about Djokovic — the modern inheritor.
It says: “We back champions and history-makers. Our brand evolves with real icons.”
And the market went wild. Not because of the shirts, but because of the story and the confidence to make moves most brands never would.
What’s This Mean For Us “Normal” Businesses?
You probably don’t have a tennis superstar in your pocket or a legacy logo recognized by half the planet.
But you do have this: a unique angle, a founder’s story, a reason WHY you exist, and a market full of people desperate for something real.
That’s what most businesses (and most copywriters) ignore. They try harder at blending in than standing out.
That shows up in offers, but it starts with language.
Let me give you three brutal lessons direct from the Lacoste playbook. These are why the cash register keeps ringing for them, and why most founders stay stuck:
Radical simplicity wins.
The Lacoste polo isn’t flashy. No bright neon, no over-designed patches. It’s clean, iconic, and confident. The message? Simplicity sells when there’s meaning behind it.Never outsource your brand’s weirdness.
René Lacoste was a left-field tennis nut and a fashion disruptor, decades before influencer marketing. The “Crocodile” nickname? He wore it, literally. These days, every founder wants to “build a community,” but they slap clichéd jargon everywhere.
Take what’s weird or personal and dial it up by 10.Stay consistent enough to create equity, but bold enough to get attention.
That Djokovic “logo swap” made news because Lacoste never tinkers for the hell of it. When they move, people talk. That’s discipline + guts. Most brands pivot so often nobody notices. Consistency gets you equity; bold moves make you memorable.
So How Do You Apply This?
Here's my dare for you:
Find your own crocodile: What’s the story, trait, or “odd thing” about you or your business you’re low-key hiding? Get it out front. Make it the reason people talk about you.
Cut 90% of your copy fluff: If you replaced 80% of your feature bullets with one strong “here’s why we exist” story, sales would increase.
Make one bold move this week: Change something you’ve been afraid to change, logo, tagline, the intro of your pitch deck in a way that feels a bit risky. See how people react.
You’ll get pushback. But that’s where the magic lives.
Nobody buys boring anymore.
People are drowning in noise, and your edge is the one thing the competition doesn’t have — you.
Lacoste just showed the whole world how it's done. Next time you see that iconic crocodile, remember that behind every “overnight success” is a founder story and a hundred bold choices.
And if you need a hand clarifying your brand’s signature move, hit reply. Let’s figure out what your “croc” moment could look like.
Stay weird. Stay bold.
— Shashank
P.S.
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