The Emperor’s New Brand: A Creative Talk on Branding, Confidence, and Selling Ideas
I’ve read The Emperor’s New Clothes to my kids probably a thousand times.
It’s one of those classic bedtime stories that sticks with you. Partly because it’s funny. Partly because it’s short. And partly because there’s something deeper going on beneath the surface.
Over the years, I started to see the story differently. What began as a quick read before lights-out slowly became a weirdly accurate metaphor for the work I do every day. Branding, selling creative services, and helping clients feel confident in their decisions.
A few months ago, I finally had the chance to share this idea in a talk at Bright & Early, a speaker series where local creatives talk openly about the personal side of their work. I called it The Emperor’s New Brand.
The talk explores what this old story can teach us about the agency and client relationship, and how each of us — at some point — ends up playing one of three roles.
It’s personal. A little weird. And (hopefully) useful.
Yes, it’s about branding. But really, it’s about confidence. How we build it, sell it, question it, and rebuild it again.
It’s also about how easily we accept things that feel official or established, even when they don’t make sense. And how important it is to have someone in the room who’s willing to say what’s actually true.
Because that’s where the real opportunities are.
Watch the Talk
If you’ve ever faked your way through a meeting, or felt like everyone else saw something you didn’t, this one’s for you.
👉 Watch “The Emperor’s New Brand” on YouTube
(Or scroll down to watch it right here.)
Huge thanks to Bright & Early for the invite, and to STL.org for their partnership in making the event happen.
If you’d like me to give this talk (or any of my other talks on business, branding, marketing, and creativity) at your event, let’s connect.
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Mike Spakowski is a speaker, writer, and creative director with 20+ years of experience helping brands stand out and scale up. As the founding partner of Atomicdust, he’s led branding and digital strategy projects across consumer, healthcare, B2B, and professional services — always with a focus on clarity, confidence, and results.
