Turning 40

The Rebrand You Didn’t Ask For

In marketing, a rebrand is a conscious, deliberate act.

New logos, new colours, new mission statements – all beautifully unveiled at an overpriced event in an exposed brick building with Prosecco and nibbles.

But turning 40?

That’s a rebrand you didn’t approve, didn’t plan for, and certainly didn’t sign off on.

“I’m not the product I once was – but I’ve ironed out most of the bugs and I don’t crash as often.”

Will Green, 2025

One day you’re gigging in metal bands, or touring the world with the Ministry of Sound… living on impulse and Red Bull… the next, you’re fanboying Philip Kotler, getting excited about garden renovation and trying to make time to play with the kids.

Somewhere along the line, whether you realised it or not, you’ve been rebranded.

Several times.


The Marketing Made Clear Podcast

Check out my introductory episode on the Marketing Made Clear Podcast on all good streaming platforms including Spotify where I go into a bit of detail of my background.

The Accidental Rebrands

Accidental Rebrand #1: From Wannabe Rockstar to Reluctant Marketer

As a teenager, music was my brand.

Playing everything from tuba to drums, forming bands, running Queen tribute gigs, dreaming of headlining the Joiners Arms, and going on tour – this was life.

I didn’t know it yet, but those gigs were my first marketing campaigns.

Product: A group of teens playing rock covers.
Strategy: Posters, flyers, word of mouth. Being really cool.
Result: Packed school or village halls, winning battle of the bands and a buzz we could live off for weeks.

Then along comes Roadrunner Records and Ministry of Sound and without knowing it, I transitioned from performer to promoter/tour manager. The shift was subtle at first, but looking back, it was the start of my first rebrand: realising that creating a product isn’t enough.

You have to sell it too.

My musical ambitions changed – and the dream of being a musician changed.

Some people find Jesus, I found Marketing.

Accidental Rebrand #2: From Anti-Academic to Academic Achiever

If teenage me could have seen me graduating with an MBA distinction, he would have dropped his drumsticks out of sheer disbelief.

School felt rigid, formulaic – everything I was desperate to avoid.
Education was the enemy of creative freedom.

Turns out I didn’t hate education – I just hadn’t found a subject that felt like mine yet. Even Music felt stuffy – with such an absolute focus on Classical Music , or Jazz. Music Academia had no place for the music I was passionate about.

Skip forward to the time after working in the music industry, running events, and helping DJs manage their marketing… and suddenly, studying marketing theory became a gold mine of ideas I could put straight into practice..

“For someone who once thought education got in the way of learning, I’ve got an awful lot of certificates now.”

Will Green, 2025

Support for my dyslexia, great mentors, and actually enjoying the learning transformed my view.
What felt pointless before became powerful.

Rebranding yourself from ‘rebel without a cause’ to ‘lifelong learner’ is humbling – but it also opens doors that reckless energy never could.

My weekends are still wild – wild in the sense that they involve garden centres and country parks with the family.

Accidental Rebrand #3: From Life of the Party to Lover of a Quiet Night In

There’s a special kind of existential dread when Facebook Memories resurfaces a photo of you at 22, downing pints with the football lads with a caption like “We are the Boyz!”.

The person in those photos feels distant now – almost a different product entirely.

Will Green, 2025

Massive nights out used to be the main event. Now, the idea of a night out like “the good old days” seems great in principle, but I’ve learned the hard way – the kids will be up early regardless – a big night out is a sure fire way to make tomorrow’s Will a walking zombie.
And after recent health issues (and the slow discovery that even the knees click differently at 40), the body demands a different kind of strategy: one built on sleep, hydration, and getting the kids to bed early so Lucy and I get that hour in the evening to actually do something together – even if it’s just to watch an episode of… well… anything!

It’s not about becoming boring. It’s about evolving into a version of yourself that values feeling good tomorrow more than drinking the bar dry tonight. And it’s not just age – like I said – the diagnosis of Barratt’s Oesophagus, the broken rib stabbing my lung and subsequent operation have taken a lot out of me… I have got better at listening to my body and doing something about it.

This is all sounding bleak – and it’s honestly not – the highlight of my week is time with the family – and with work and all the other pressures, it’s hard to come by.

Accidental Rebrand #4: From Digital Native to Digital Curator

Early on, I embraced digital platforms without a second thought. MySpace, early YouTube promo, setting up band websites – it felt natural.
But now?

Platforms like TikTok have exploded, AI is reshaping marketing daily, and algorithms move faster than a DJ switching tracks mid-set.

The rebrand here wasn’t about resistance – it was about conscious curation.

Rather than jumping onto every trend like a desperate brand trying to go viral, I focus on understanding where my skills and values fit best.

Will Green, 2025

It’s something that I have to deal with on a daily part of my job – this is not a dig at them, but different stakeholders hear see case studies or stories about businesses growing overnight due to TikTok, or AI adoption – and I get it – it looks really appealing. But these case studies are businesses whose customer bases match the TikTok demographic – or where AI can be integrated into the business in a seamless way to add value.

To me – this approach is hyperactive, lacking the attention needed to think things through, beyond surface level… it’s desperation!

I guess my brand is “adaptation without desperation” and I know that can be frustrating for some stakeholders – but I know what I’m doing – so trust in my brand!

The benefit of experience isn’t that you’ve done it all – it’s that you know what’s not worth doing again.

Turning 40: Reflection, Not Reinvention

Think of it as version 4.0 – no longer in beta, and finally stable.

All these accidental rebrands weren’t about becoming someone new. They were about uncovering the real strengths underneath the noise.

  • Playing music taught me the value of collaboration.

  • Working with Ministry of Sound showed me the power of stakeholder management.

  • Studying marketing taught me how to formalise and scale what I already instinctively understood.

  • Launching sustainable businesses like Dogs Go Greener made me realise that passion and purpose could coexist with professional life.

At 20, it was about energy. At 40, it’s about direction.

Turning 40 isn’t about panicking because you’re “not who you were at 20.”
It’s about finally realising who you were meant to be – with the confidence to own it.

In marketing terms:
You’re not a failing brand that needs reinvention.
You’re a heritage brand, growing stronger, sharper, and more resilient by building on decades of experience.

Conclusion: The Best Brands Get Better with Age

Forty isn’t the end of your prime.
It’s the start of your most powerful, most authentic era.

“I’m not past it. I’m properly launched and better edited.”

Like a classic album that’s stood the test of time, or a brand that found its voice after years of experimentation – you arrive at 40 not perfect, but perfected by experience.

You’ve survived bad trends, questionable decision-making, and existential pivots.
Now you know what matters – and you don’t need anyone’s permission to say so.

The rebrand you didn’t ask for?
It might just be the best marketing move you ever made.