This submit was created in partnership with Kantar

The query of whether or not a model ought to stay constant or innovate is as previous as time. However the reality is, to remain related in in the present day’s world, manufacturers must do each.

Throughout a CES 2026 ADWEEK Home session, Will Lee, CEO of ADWEEK, spoke with Jeff Greenspoon, CEO of the Americas at Kantar, and Don McGuire, EVP and CMO of Qualcomm, about how manufacturers can innovate whereas staying true to their roots.

Intentional innovation and model consistency

Greenspoon kicked off the dialog by citing Kantar knowledge, tracked over 20 years, displaying model consistency drives an 111% development benefit, however that 71% of development has been pushed by “disruptive innovation.”

When Greenspoon works with manufacturers to steadiness these opposing philosophies, he assesses three core components of the model: which means, distinction, and salience.

“Which means” asks whether or not a model has an emotional reference to its prospects. “Distinction” entails how a model stands out from the opponents. “Salience” leverages the opposite components to search out methods to make a model current and memorable within the minds of customers. To create salience, manufacturers would possibly enter a brand new market or launch a brand new product that creates consciousness.

“Should you undergo that logical step, you even have a blueprint to develop your model in a means that may nonetheless dwell true to who you’re,” Greenspoon defined. “Return to the primary one, which is which means, then distinction, then scale, and discover salience. Predispose extra individuals, get into the family, get into the thoughts state, and innovate that means.”

How Qualcomm reclaimed its story

Qualcomm’s current advertising technique is a profitable instance of discovering steadiness within the pressure between consistency and innovation. For a lot of the corporate’s 40 years in enterprise, the corporate made know-how, like semiconductors, for different firms’ merchandise, like telephones and IoT units. In line with McGuire, they have been blissful to be “behind the scenes.”

However seven years in the past, the corporate discovered itself a sufferer of a story put forth by opponents. To outlive, Qualcomm needed to reclaim the story of its model, and CEO Cristiano Amón challenged McGuire to raise Qualcomm—and its flagship chip, Snapdragon—to a “international client model rooted in tradition.”

To attain this objective, McGuire and his group innovated in two key areas: partnerships and group.

Qualcomm’s companions now embrace F1 Academy driver Doriane Pin and the English soccer group Manchester United. These partnerships resulted in publicity by culturally related moments, like when Pin received the 2025 F1 Academy and musician Sabrina Carpenter wore a Manchester United jersey with Snapdragon’s brand.

As for group, Qualcomm launched Snapdragon Insiders, a 20-million-strong fanbase that McGuire refers to as advocates, evangelists, and “a military of tech fanatics.”