Brand Strategy
The Three Hurdles
A simple filter for evaluating brand ideas or strategies.
What it is:
Originally developed by Scott Galloway, The Three Hurdles framework helps evaluate the viability of a brand idea or business model by asking three key questions:
- Is it different? (Differentiation)
- Do people want it? (Relevance)
- Can it last? (Sustainability)
Visualized as three hurdles on a track, each one must be cleared for a brand to thrive. If your offering isn’t differentiated, it will be lost in a sea of sameness. If it’s not relevant, no one will care. And if it’s not sustainable, success won’t last.
This model is especially helpful for product innovation, brand strategy, and new venture development. The Three Hurdles framework outlines the main barriers standing between a brand and its prospective customers: awareness, understanding, and belief. These are sequential hurdles that must be cleared in order to build trust, convert leads, and foster brand loyalty.
Awareness is about visibility — do they even know you exist? Understanding refers to clarity — do they grasp what you offer and how it helps them? Belief is emotional — do they trust that your solution is right for them? If your audience gets stuck at any one of these hurdles, the relationship stalls.
This model helps diagnose where your marketing efforts might be falling short. It also forces brands to move beyond vanity metrics and think about how they are guiding their audience down a thoughtful path from discovery to conviction.
Use it when:
- Evaluating taglines or campaigns
- Assessing brand strategy
- Pressure-testing positioning
Why it works:
- Quick and intuitive
- Prevents me-too ideas
- Grounds ideas in strategy
Need help clearing the hurdles?