Navigating Publicity Campaigns for Legacy-Driven Brands
Photographed: Legendary “Glamma” - 85 Year Old Zambian Fashion Icon Margret Chola
- Balancing Tradition and Relevance in a Modern PR Landscape
Legacy isn’t just about the past – it is about what you choose to carry forward. For brands with rich histories, running a publicity campaign means walking the tightrope between traditional and transformation. These legacy driven brands are built on trust, heritage, and consistency – but that same heritage can become a burden if its not actively and meaningfully evolved. The challenge is real: How do you stay visible and relevant without diluting the values that made your brand iconic?
In this blog, we explore how to craft PR and publicity campaigns that amplify legacy while staying culturally fluent, emotionally resonant and strategically bold.
What Makes a Brand Legacy Driven?
Legacy driven brands are more than just longstanding businesses – they’re institutions. These are companies built on multi-generational trust, consistent delivery of value, and a clear, enduring sense of purpose. Whether it’s the reliability of Mercedes-Benz, the community roots of Pick n Pay, or the cultural longevity of Coca-Cola, legacy brands carry a weight few others do.
In African markets especially, brands like Old Mutual, Unilever, and long-standing local retailers or banks have become woven into the fabric of people’s lives. This legacy can be both a powerful asset and a unique responsibility – consumers expect not just quality, but continuity, integrity, and meaning. They don’t want trend chasing, they want timeless relevance.
The Unique PR Challenges Legacy Brands Face
Legacy driven brands often find themselves facing an uncomfortable paradox. They must remain rooted while still reaching forward. Here are some of the most pressing challenges.
· Appearing current without losing credibility: Legacy brands may struggle to align with newer cultural movements or digital formats without feeling forced.
· Risk of losing loyal audiences: Updating messaging or visuals can backfire if it seems to disregard the brand’s heritage
· Cautious internal decision-making: Often operating within complex corporate structures, legacy brands may move slower than newer, agile competitors.
· Fear of reputational damage: With decades of goodwill at stake, missteps in publicity campaigns carry heavier consequences.
· Evolving storytelling: If brand narratives remain static, they can lose relevance, especially among younger audiences.
Consumers are more likely to trust brands with a well-established history but they also expect those brands to take a stand on modern social issues. Trust is earned not only through history, but through relevance.
Strategic Principles for Successful Publicity Campaigns
For legacy brands, PR and publicity campaign must be more then reactive press releases or flashy activations. They must be designed with intention, strategy, and emotional intelligence.
Lead With Purpose, Not Just Product
Today’s audiences respond to brands that stand for something. Publicity campaigns that focus solely on product features or legacy accolades miss the mark. Instead, tie your campaign to values – whether it’s community upliftment, innovation, sustainability, or cultural preservation. Purpose driven storytelling gives heritage emotional depth and contemporary relevance.
Modernize the Narrative Without Losing the Soul
Your story doesn’t need reinvention – it needs re-expression. Translate your legacy into formats and language that resonate with modern audiences. This means leaning into digital storytelling, using emotionally intelligent language, and reflecting the lived experiences of your audience today. Your brand’s soul stays the same, but the voice must evolve.
Balance Legacy Voices with New Faces
Respect the voices that built the brand, but introduce new ambassadors, influencers, or storytellers who can connect with next generation audiences. These voices should embody the brand’s values while offering fresh, relevant perspectives. It’s not about replacing the old guard but it’s about building a bridge.
Use Moments of Cultural Relevance Strategically
Anniversaries, heritage months, or even trending social themes offer natural PR hooks. But for legacy brands, these moments only work when there’s authentic alignment. If a 75-year milestone is celebrated, make sure the campaign also says something about what the brand stands for in today’s world.
Layer Old School Credibility with New School Channels
Traditional PR –newspapers, radio and broadcast interviews still matters. But combine it with agility of new school media. The Instagram reels, brand podcasts, LinkedIn thought leadership, and user-generated content. This blend reinforces your credibility while expanding your reach and resonance.
A Brand That’s Done it Well: Woolworths South Africa
Woolworths, a retail institution in South Africa, has expertly balances legacy and innovation. Through campaigns that highlight its long standing quality promise and social impact commitments especially in sustainability and local sourcing. Woolworths has stayed rooted in its heritage. But its messaging is fresh, its digital content is relevant, and its partnerships with younger, diverse influencers ensure it continues to feel alive in hearts of new generation.
It is a legacy in living story. Legacy isn’t a museum exhibit, it’s a living, evolving story. For brands that have spent decades building trust and impact, publicity campaigns should not only protect the past but powerfully reframe it for the future. The goal is not to hold on tightly to what was but to show the world what your legacy can mean today and tomorrow.
Are you protecting your legacy or growing it? Partner with Coral Communications to tell your legacy story – powerfully, purposefully, and for the next generation.