Many much-loved brands got that way by publicly identifying their enemies.

Why would that be so?

Because it’s often easier to articulate a brand’s values by talking about what it stands against than what it stands for.

And if you want to bond people in a group and rally them to a cause, the quickest way is to name an adversary.

Just look at sports fans when their team is up against a rival.

This doesn’t mean, however, that your enemy has to be a competitive brand.

In fact, it might be better if the enemy is an idea or a belief.

Politicians and religious groups understand this and use it all the time.

So there’s no reason why brands shouldn’t.

The corollary to this is that you can make an idea really attractive to one group of people by showing them that another group hates it.

Remember that hate is a powerful thing.

And for an audience watching from the sidelines, it’s definitely more entertaining than love.