What Elon Musk Can Teach You About Branding

(Spoiler: It's Mostly What Not to Do)

You know when a brand looks expensive but acts completely unhinged? That’s Elon Musk in a nutshell.

At first glance, the man has all the ingredients of a visionary brand: futuristic ideas, big innovation energy, and a carefully curated cult following that treats his tweets (sorry.. X’s) like scripture. He launched electric cars into space and made us believe Mars might actually be the next Melbourne.

But zoom in a little closer and that polished exterior starts to unravel. Fast.

This is a guy who spent $44 billion buying Twitter, renamed it "X" (??), fired most of the staff, ditched the iconic bird branding, and then wondered why public trust plummeted faster than a Tesla on autopilot.

It’s giving ego. It’s giving chaos. It’s giving “built a rocket but forgot the map.”

So what does this have to do with your business?

A lot, actually.

Because branding isn’t just about big moves and flashy aesthetics. It’s about how you show up consistently, strategically, and with intention.

Let’s break it down.

1. Disruption isn’t strategy

Elon prides himself on being a disruptor. But there’s a fine line between shaking things up and setting fire to your own brand equity.

When you make major changes without a clear narrative (like scrapping a well-loved name or changing your tone overnight), your audience doesn’t see vision. They see confusion.

Disruption without direction = chaos.

2. Aesthetic isn’t identity

Elon has the futuristic vibe down. Sleek logos, spaceship-ready cars, cyberpunk memes. But without substance, that visual identity is just noise.

A powerful brand needs more than a shiny exterior. It needs:

• A core message

• Defined values

• A clear audience

• A purpose that extends beyond likes and viral chaos

Otherwise, you’re just flexing pixels and hoping they convert.

3. Consistency is power

One of the biggest branding sins? Inconsistency.

Elon goes from meme lord to corporate overlord in 0.2 seconds. One minute he's cracking jokes on Twitter/X, the next he’s making sweeping changes to the platform with zero explanation.

Consistency builds trust. Inconsistency breeds doubt.

When your brand shows up with mixed messages, changing visuals, or erratic tone shifts, your audience doesn’t feel excited. They feel suspicious.

4. Emotional intelligence matters

A brand with no empathy? That’s a brand with a shelf life.

Elon’s abrupt firings, tone-deaf tweets, and lack of public accountability reveal a major branding blindspot: the human element.

Your audience isn’t just buying your product. They’re buying into how you make them feel.

If your brand can’t meet people where they are—if it bulldozes trust in favor of control—then the long-term impact is a reputation crisis waiting to happen.

5. Strategy = Vision + Execution

Here’s where it gets juicy.

Because Elon does have vision. Big, audacious, legacy-building vision. But that alone isn’t enough.

Vision without execution? It’s just noise. Execution without empathy? It’s just power-tripping. And branding without strategy? It’s just chaos in designer clothes.

So what’s the lesson?

You don’t need to be a billionaire or a meme machine to build a bold brand. But you do need to:

• Know who you’re speaking to

• Understand what you stand for

• Build consistency into your content, tone, and visuals

• Back up your aesthetic with strategy and intention

Otherwise, you risk becoming that brand. The one that looks cool, but feels cold. That sounds loud, but says nothing. That drops $44B on a platform... and loses the plot.

TL;DR: Don’t be Elon.

Be bold, not belligerent. Be strategic, not scattered. Be the brand people trust, not the one they meme.

If reading this made you realise your brand has been giving “confused tech bro,” don’t worry. I’ve got you.

Book a strategy session or grab a semi-custom kit and let’s turn your chaos into clarity. Because unlike Elon, you actually care how your brand makes people feel.