Arrogance Has No ROI: Why Great Brands Always Invite Conversation

Silencing feedback might feel safe, but it kills trust, engagement, and long-term brand value. Here’s why dialogue drives real ROI.

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Here’s one of the most essential branding lessons I’ve learned: The best brands and leaders don’t talk to people. They speak with them. Communication should be a two-way conversation.

That’s why an email exchange with a friend a few weeks ago hit me so hard. It reminded me of how easily we can undermine our ability to connect by prioritizing ego over engagement.

I have a buddy who’s a successful partner at an advertising agency and writes a great marketing blog. A few weeks ago, he commented on my blog post about the Jaguar branding controversy I wrote after their big brand announcement. He also added a link to his own blog on the subject. It was well-written and incisive, so I scrolled to the bottom to post my thoughts and offer a hearty congratulations, only to find no comment box.

Trying to be helpful, I emailed him to let him know how much I liked his blog and that I wanted to comment, but couldn’t find where to post my thoughts.

His response floored me:

“Thanks for the kind words about my post. Yeah, Bruce, we used to have a comments button, and we’d get tons of comments on some of our blogs. But honestly, some folks here don’t like being disagreed with. It got to the point where the comments became a battleground. So, we decided to remove the comments button. Problem solved!”

Ok, I admit it, I couldn’t help myself:
“Problem solved or problem exacerbated? Who cares if people disagree with what you write? I think the whole point of a blog is not simply to talk at people but to start a conversation with them.”

His reply was polite, but I could tell he wasn’t buying it. He said that for his team, “keeping the blog clean and on message was more important than engaging with dissenting opinions.”

And that’s where he and I see the world very differently.

Disagreement Is an Opportunity, Not a Threat

But first, a story:

Our exchange brought me back to an early moment in my career. I was working on a high-stakes campaign for a major client. During the big presentation, one executive voiced a concern about the concept we were recommending. I immediately went into defense mode, arguing why we were right and brushing off his input.

After the meeting, my creative director pulled me aside and gave me advice I’ve carried with me ever since:

“Bruce, if someone is challenging your idea, it means they care enough to engage. If you listen, you might discover something that can make your work even better.”

That moment changed everything. Disagreement Is an Opportunity, Not a Threat; It’s a test of clarity, a chance to strengthen your ideas. If you’re committed to building a great brand, that’s the kind of feedback you should crave.

Arrogance Is a Brand Killer

When brands, or people, stop listening, they stop growing. If you avoid letting your audience engage with you, you’re missing out on invaluable insights. And you’re sending an even worse message: that your audience’s opinions don’t matter.

READ: The reason behind the design

Think about some of the world’s most iconic brands. The ones that thrive are the ones that invite their audience into the conversation. They listen to complaints, address concerns, and adapt based on what they hear. They don’t see criticism as a sign of failure. They see it as a sign of relevance.

READ:Make something old relevant again

The Real ROI of Engagement

If you’re putting your ideas into the world, invite people to respond, because branding is about building trust, and trust is built through connection, not control.

READ: Trust is built through connection

Welcome feedback, even when it’s uncomfortable. Use it to open conversations and to keep them going. According to Harvard Business Review, listening well is one of the most important things leaders can do.

Shutting down your comments section, on a blog, a social media platform, or even in a meeting, doesn’t eliminate dissent. It just moves it somewhere you can’t see it. And that’s far more dangerous.

When you embrace dialogue, you’re not just creating better ideas. You’re building something much more powerful: a community of people who believe in you and what you do. And that’s a return on investment arrogance will never deliver.

Let’s Talk About Speaking Opportunities

If you’re planning a conference or corporate event in 2025 or 2026, I’d love to explore how I can add value to your audience. I deliver high-energy keynotes that spark conversation, foster engagement, and help organizations unlock their brand’s full potential.

Want to learn more? Send me a message. Let’s start the conversation.