Lilian Kansime, Brand Manager at Bell Lager, has argued that brands can remain relevant without abandoning the identity that has connected them with consumers over time.
In an opinion piece titled “How Brands Stay Relevant Without Losing Themselves,” Kansime examines the pressure brands face to respond to changing consumer expectations, digital platforms and cultural trends.
She argues that visibility and relevance are not the same thing.
According to Kansime, brands can be tempted to quickly adopt new language, trends and identities in an effort to remain visible. But she says lasting relevance requires a clearer understanding of what a brand should preserve and what it needs to change.
“Authenticity is not about staying the same,” Kansime writes. “It is about evolving without losing the essence of what made people connect with the brand in the first place.”
She points to Uganda as an example of a market where culture continues to change across music, fashion and social spaces while some patterns of how people celebrate and connect remain familiar.
Kansime argues that brands that remain relevant over time are those that adapt alongside these changes rather than attempting to control them.
She also identifies positioning as an important part of that process, particularly for established brands that must balance familiarity with the need to evolve.
“The longer a brand has existed, the greater the challenge of staying familiar without becoming dated and evolving without losing the identity that people have come to know.”
Kansime uses Uganda’s established beer brands to illustrate the point, saying their continued connection with consumers has involved their presence in areas such as music, social occasions and shared experiences across generations.
She specifically points to Bell Lager’s 75-year history and its relationship with Ugandan culture.
According to Kansime, Bell has remained familiar while adapting to changes in the culture around it. She presents that continuity as part of the brand’s approach to maintaining relevance.
She also cites the introduction of Uganda’s Very Own as an example of building on an existing brand story rather than creating an entirely new one.
The campaign, she says, highlights people, influences and experiences that have shaped Ugandan culture and have been part of Bell’s history.
For Kansime, the broader question facing brands is not simply how quickly they can respond to change, but whether they understand which parts of their identity should remain constant.
“The real story lies in how each generation has contributed to what we now experience as culture.”
