From Cultural Relevance to Enduring Desirability

Brands are under growing pressure to remain culturally relevant without allowing short-term attention to weaken long-term desirability. Yet there is no single route to achieving that balance. In this session, the CEO of A Bathing Ape will offer a perspective from a brand that has built global influence through a distinctive identity, close cultural connections and a disciplined approach to reach. He will examine how relevance can be converted into sustained brand value, where visibility can begin to undermine scarcity, and why cultural credibility cannot simply be manufactured or borrowed. The session will explore which principles of desirability can travel across categories, and which must remain rooted in a brand’s own history, community and point of view.

Wednesday 03 February 12:10 - 12:50 Track 2