Hey Reader,
Some people love Marmite. Some people hate it. Nobody’s indifferent.
And that’s exactly what great leaders and great brands have in common.
Elon Musk is Marmite. Some hail him as a genius visionary. Others think he’s reckless and irresponsible.
Oprah was Marmite in her early career. Too soft for hard news. Too direct for daytime television. Yet she built one of the most loyal global audiences in history.
Steve Jobs was Marmite. For years he was called arrogant, difficult, and impossible to work with. But his vision created products people still queue for hours to get their hands on.
The pattern is clear: you don’t get remembered for being vanilla. You don’t change an industry by making yourself palatable to everyone.
Most entrepreneurs who fail do so not because they’re wrong — but because they try too hard to be liked.
They play it safe with their message. They dilute their voice so it won’t upset anyone. They build businesses that blend in instead of stand out.
But safe doesn’t inspire loyalty. Safe doesn’t make you remembered. Safe doesn’t change the game.
The people who cut through are the ones who are willing to polarise. Not by being provocative for the sake of it, but by standing so firmly for something that it makes some people, the wrong people, uncomfortable.
That’s the Marmite Effect.
And I know this because I’ve lived it. I’ve been called “too blunt,” “too opinionated,” even “too much.” But every time I’ve tried to tone it down, the results vanished. The opportunities came when I leaned in to being unapologetically myself.
A Stanford study found that people are far more likely to remember polarising figures than neutral ones. In branding, research shows products that trigger strong emotions — positive or negative — create higher recall, stronger loyalty, and more word-of-mouth growth.
Look at history:
- Churchill was Marmite. Half the country thought he was dangerous; the other half believed he was the only one who could save them.
- Muhammad Ali was Marmite. Brash, outspoken, unapologetic — but unforgettable.
- Even in my own career, the big leaps didn’t come from being agreeable. They came from being bold enough to say what others wouldn’t.
So how can you apply this to your life or business without being trying to be someone you’re not?
3 ACTION TIPS / TOOLS
- Define What You Refuse to Accept
It’s easy to say what you stand for. But what do you stand against? What do you think is broken in your industry, your market, your world? That’s what makes you memorable.
- Stop Chasing Universal Approval
If your content, your product, or your leadership makes everyone nod politely, you’re not leading — you’re wallpaper. Great brands and leaders are remembered because they provoke strong reactions.
- Own Your “Too Much”
The world will always tell you to tone it down. Don’t. The thing people call “too much” is often the very thing that makes you stand out. That’s your advantage — not your flaw.
Marmite leaders, Marmite entrepreneurs, Marmite brands — they’re the ones who change the game.
Because in the end, if everyone loves you, you’re doing something wrong.
We’ve got this …
