Brands are not built overnight. Visibility may happen overnight.

 BRAND WEDNESDAY

When Trends Come, Jump on Them Early or Learn From Them Years Later

On Thursday, 2nd July 2026, social media feeds across the world were dominated by images and videos of Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, the famous rooftopping couple.

Their latest stunt culminated in what appeared to be a marriage proposal high above Manhattan, creating a global conversation that spread across news outlets and every major social media platform.

It was more than just a proposal.

It became a story.

A couple trended.

A city trended. Manhattan 

A landmark trended. Empire Building 

Brands trended together.

That is the power of collaboration.

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Lesson One: Be Known for Something

As a brand, be known for something.

When one brand trends, every brand connected to that story gains visibility. Whether intentionally or by collaboration, audiences begin discovering everyone involved.

In this case, other than the couple themselves, how many people became familiar with the Empire State Building that day?

Millions.

People who had never searched for the landmark suddenly knew it.

That is one of the greatest benefits of collaborative brand building.

Visibility is shared.

Attention multiplies.

One story can elevate several brands at the same time.

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Lesson Two: Position Yourself Differently

The couple climbed the Empire State Building antenna spire, approximately 1,454 feet above the ground, without any visible safety equipment other than matching black outfits and masks.

Whether one agrees with the stunt or not, there was a branding lesson.

How do you package yourself when you show up?

How do people remember you?

They wore matching black with masks on. All black.

Simple.

Consistent.

Recognisable.

The visual identity became part of the story.

Great brands understand that people remember visuals long before they remember words.

When people recall this moment, many will immediately picture two figures dressed entirely in black standing above New York.

That is positioning.

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Lesson Three: What Is Your Message?

At the top, the couple displayed a banner carrying a simple message:

"When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace."

Whether people agreed or disagreed with the statement, everyone remembered it. and jumped on the same banner.

As you build your brand, ask yourself:

What is your message?

Keep it simple.

Keep it short.

Keep it memorable.

People rarely remember long speeches.

They remember one powerful sentence.

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Lesson Four: What Is Your Why?

Why did they climb the Empire State Building?

Every strong brand has a "why."

For Ivan and Angela, the climb itself was part of their positioning.

After reaching the top, they climbed down to a flat section of the structure where Ivan proposed to Angela.

News headlines immediately described it as:

"The World's Most Dangerous Proposal."

That headline alone generated millions of conversations.

After descending, the pair were arrested and reportedly faced charges including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.

There is another branding lesson here.

Yes, brands should be bold.

Yes, brands should stand out.

But boldness should never come at the expense of structure, responsibility and the law.

Build courage into your brand.

Not recklessness.

Great brands innovate within ethical and legal boundaries.

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Lesson Five: Overnight Success Is Usually Years in the Making

Many people discovered Angela and Ivan on that day.

But that was not where their story started.

They had already spent years building a global audience through extreme rooftopping adventures and were even featured in the Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story.

Their "overnight success" had taken years.

This is how brands are built.

Consistency.

Repetition.

Showing up.

Again and again.

You never know which piece of content, campaign or collaboration becomes your biggest breakthrough.

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Lesson Six: The Azziad Story

The same principle applies much closer to home. Kenya

During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Azziad Nasenya became Kenya's biggest social media sensation after posting a dance video to the hit song Utawezana.

The video spread rapidly across TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and WhatsApp.

Suddenly everyone was asking:

"Who is Azziad?"

It looked like overnight success.

But it wasn't.

Before that viral moment, she had already spent years dancing, acting and performing in theatre.

She had been consistently showing up.

The viral dance simply introduced her to the world. Azziad trended beacsue she combined the right platform tik tok, the right content utawezana challenge. the right timing , coif lockdown and authentic personality. 

Brands are not built overnight.

Visibility may happen overnight.

Trust never does.

What Brands Can Learn From Both Stories

Although these stories are different, they reveal similar truths about modern branding.

Both demonstrate how attention is created in today's digital world.

Many people trend.

Very few build lasting brands.

Think about Githeri Man.

He became an instant sensation during Kenya's elections.

Everyone knew him  a moment carrying his githeri in the voting lines. He stood out.

But one minute of fame is rarely sustainable.

Attention without strategy fades.

Virality without positioning disappears.

You have to build beyond the moment.

Package yourself.

Keep showing up.

Create systems around your visibility.

Turn attention into a long-term brand.

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Marketing Lessons for Every Brand

1. Culture Beats Advertising

Consumers engage more with culture and conversations than traditional advertising messages.

People share what everyone is talking about.

Become part of the conversation.

2. Emotion Drives Sharing

Both stories triggered emotion.

Azziad represented joy, hope, fun and inspiration.

The Empire State Building couple created surprise, excitement, romance and disbelief.

People rarely share information.

People share emotion.

Move beyond product features and benefits.

Create emotional experiences.

3. Great Stories Spread Faster Than Great Messages

If customers cannot easily retell your story, it is unlikely to spread.

Think about simple stories people instantly repeat.

During COVID, even the story of the "Mpesa guy" spread because it was easy to tell.

Stories travel.

Messages don't.

4. Authenticity Wins

Azziad was already a dancer.

Angela and Ivan were already professional rooftoppers.

Neither became someone different to chase attention.

Their viral moments aligned with who they already were.

Virality becomes sustainable when it reflects your authentic identity.

5. Visual-First Content Dominates

Images stop scrolling.

Videos capture attention.

Powerful visuals are remembered far longer than written copy.

Today's digital platforms reward content that people can immediately understand without reading paragraphs.

Visual storytelling matters.

6. Participation Creates Reach

Success is not only measured by views.

The goal is participation.

Comments.

Shares.

Conversations.

User-generated content.

Engagement creates reach.

7. Earned Media Is Extremely Valuable

Neither story relied primarily on paid advertising.

People talked.

News outlets covered them.

Content creators reacted.

Media amplified them.

Create stories worth talking about.

The world will help distribute them.

8. Timing Is Everything

Timing matters.

Azziad's dance exploded when millions of people were consuming digital content during the COVID lockdown.

Githeri Man became memorable during a highly emotional election season.

The Empire State Building proposal happened in an era where spectacular visual content spreads globally within hours.

Sometimes the right content at the right moment changes everything.

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The Big Marketing Insight Playbook

Virality rarely happens by accident.

It is usually a combination of five ingredients:

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Authenticity

Emotion

Visual Impact

Storytelling

Participation

Do not create campaigns simply because your brand wants attention.

People do not share campaigns because brands ask them to.

People share campaigns because the content connects with them.

Because it gives them a story.

Because it makes them feel something.

Because it creates an experience worth talking about.

As you build your brand, ask one final question:

What is your campaign addressing?

What conversation is it creating?

What emotion is it leaving people with?

That is how memorable brands are built.

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Kenyan Brands that immediately jumped on the empire couple trending video.

Safaricom – Building connections that last.

Kenya Airways – Couples exploring the world together.

NCBA Group – Building wealth together.

Brand Wednesday Insight

The strongest empires aren't built by individuals they're built through vision, collaboration, and consistency. Whether in business, leadership, or relationships, every lasting empire begins with people who believe, build trust, and grow together.

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MN Collective Insights Unfiltered 

Believe. Brand. Build.