Blue Hat at South Summit 2025: Shaping Brand Futures at the Sandbox Stage
At South Summit 2025, where the boldest minds in tech, innovation, and entrepreneurship converged in Madrid, BlueHat turned the spotlight on something many founders overlook: brand purpose.
In our interactive session, “Built on Purpose: Lessons from Brands That Rose, Fell, or Reinvented Themselves,” Co-Founders Judy Maamari and Sami Hmaidan invited participants to think beyond aesthetics and product features — and confront the real reason brands rise, stagnate, or fade: their strategic alignment with human needs.
This wasn’t theory. It was real-time brand strategy in motion.
More Than a Talk — A Live Branding Experience
Held on the Sandbox Stage, the session blended:
– Case studies of iconic brands from Tesla to Barbie
– A branding quiz mapped on Maslow’s pyramid of needs
– Strategy insights that connected brand behavior to brand trust
– Interactive audience challenges that pushed attendees to reflect on their own brand’s standing
The room was packed. The energy was sharp. The takeaways were practical.
The Quiz That Made Strategy Personal
Our live quiz didn’t just entertain — it turned attendees into brand thinkers. From Figma’s rise to Duolingo’s relatability, participants evaluated how different brands meet (or miss) core human needs:
– Belonging
– Esteem
– Self-Actualization
Whether it was Lego losing imagination, Tesla breaking trust, or Airbnb redefining belonging, the conversation focused on how purpose isn’t a statement — it’s a commitment that shapes product, culture, and growth.
Key Takeaways for Founders & Brand Leaders
Brands that meet basic needs compete. Brands that meet deeper needs connect.
People don’t choose products. They choose values.
Purpose isn’t a tagline. It’s how you behave.
When purpose breaks, trust collapses — even if the product performs.
In times of change, brands must evolve or risk irrelevance.
Why This Matters for Your Brand
Today’s audiences aren’t looking for perfection — they’re looking for brands that reflect their beliefs, support their growth, and show up with clarity.
Whether you’re launching, scaling, or repositioning, the questions are the same:
– Are you solving real human needs?
– Is your story strategic or just aesthetic?
– Is your brand built to last — or built to chase?
Watch the full session below
Blue Hat is an award-winning design and innovation consultancy that specializes in Innovation, Branding, and Digital Communication. We have offices in Lisbon, Beirut and Dubai. Our team is present globally across various locations.
Let’s build your purposeful Brand
At Blue Hat, we help organizations unlock brand clarity — through strategy, narrative, and creative design & marketing work.