---
title: "Brands, Step Down from the Pedestal and Leave the Castle!"
description: "A silent but dramatic shift is occurring in the foundations of today's business world. The 'Fordist' paradigm—characterized by standardization, centralization, and mass production—that has dominated global business thinking for over a century is showing irreversible cracks, driven not by technological iteration but by the rise of consumer sovereignty. Brands must transition from the closed 'castle' model to the open 'plaza' of value co-creation, requiring a profound organizational revolution, exemplified by the emergence of agile 'scenario departments'."
author: "公方刚"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2025-12-27"
categories: "Brand Marketing"
language: "en"
canonical: "https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/brands-step-down-from-the-pedestal-and-leave-the-castle-0314c5ff/"
markdown: "https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/brands-step-down-from-the-pedestal-and-leave-the-castle-0314c5ff.md"
original_source: "https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/eFep9_xCVDakzVHXCimxAA"
translation: "https://xinjignxiao.com/zh/articles/%E5%93%81%E7%89%8C-%E8%AF%B7%E8%B5%B0%E4%B8%8B%E7%A5%9E%E5%9D%9B-%E8%B5%B0%E5%87%BA%E5%9F%8E%E5%A0%A1-0314c5ff.md"
attribution: "New Distribution — https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/brands-step-down-from-the-pedestal-and-leave-the-castle-0314c5ff/"
citation: "公方刚. “Brands, Step Down from the Pedestal and Leave the Castle!.” New Distribution, 2025-12-27. https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/brands-step-down-from-the-pedestal-and-leave-the-castle-0314c5ff/"
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---

# Brands, Step Down from the Pedestal and Leave the Castle!

> A silent but dramatic shift is occurring in the foundations of today's business world. The 'Fordist' paradigm—characterized by standardization, centralization, and mass production—that has dominated global business thinking for over a century is showing irreversible cracks, driven not by technological iteration but by the rise of consumer sovereignty. Brands must transition from the closed 'castle' model to the open 'plaza' of value co-creation, requiring a profound organizational revolution, exemplified by the emergence of agile 'scenario departments'.

A silent but dramatic shift is occurring in the foundations of today's business world.
For over a century, the 'Fordist' paradigm—a logical system characterized by standardization, centralization, and mass production—has dominated global business thinking. Its sturdy edifice is now showing irreversible cracks. These cracks do not stem from technological iteration but from the rise of a more fundamental force: the full awakening of consumer sovereignty.
In the past, brands were like gods perched high in their temples. They forged sacred relics (products) through secret rituals (R&D) and then delivered them to devout followers (consumers) through grand sermons (advertising). This was a classic story of control, authority, and one-way value flow. However, digital technology has torn down the walls.
Today's consumers are no longer passive recipients of information but nodes of connection, creators of content, judges of experience, and co-definers of value. They hold the power of choice and gather in the noisy, democratic 'digital plaza' composed of social media, interest communities, and instant feedback mechanisms.
In this context, a profound paradox confronts all enterprises: when the rules of the market have shifted from 'divine proclamation (advertising)' to 'plaza co-creation (UGC),' the internal organization of most enterprises remains a hierarchical, slow-moving 'castle.'
Ideas call for openness, but organizations cling to closure; strategies emphasize agility, but processes are rigid and lengthy. This 'schizophrenic' state is the crux of why many brands struggle in transformation and face growth stagnation.
The shift from 'castle' to 'plaza' is not merely about updating marketing language or laying digital channels; it requires a profound 'organizational revolution.'
The new agile organization, represented by the 'Scenario Department' (or 'Brand Growth Department'), is the vanguard and core vehicle of this revolution. They are the native organs reconstructed for enterprises to step into the 'plaza' and participate in co-creation, serving as the only bridge connecting the new market reality with the outdated organizational body.
Deconstructing the 'Castle'
The Glorious Sunset of Classical Business
To understand the future, we must first clarify the past. The 'castle' model, as the highest organizational form of industrial civilization, was built on scarcity, information asymmetry, and linear growth.
I. The Operating Mechanism of the 'Castle': Closure and Control
In the 'castle' system, the enterprise is the absolute center. Its operation follows a precise and closed ritual:
  * Acquisition of Will (Market Research): A dedicated staff class (market research department) attempts to interpret ambiguous market trends through sampling, surveys, and other means, forming instructions for product development.
  * Forging of Products (R&D and Production): Within the heavily guarded inner city (R&D centers and factories), engineers and craftsmen (R&D and production departments) follow instructions to forge 'standard products' (standardized products) deemed flawless through standardized 'processes' (assembly lines). Innovation is internal, linear, and planned.
  * Proclamation (Marketing and Channels): The marketing department acts as a herald, using the 'golden trumpets' of mass media (TV, radio, print) for one-way, high-frequency proclamation, educating and persuading the audience. Channels are a hierarchical, strictly controlled 'distribution network.'
  * User Purchase (Sales and Feedback): The completion of a sale is seen as the user's 'purchase.' Feedback mechanisms (customer complaints, market data) are like slowly transmitted reports, with long paths that rarely directly influence central decision-making.
II. The Achievements and Foundations of the 'Castle'
This model achieved unprecedented success. It created the miracle of economies of scale, ensured the stability of product quality, and built consumer culture through powerful brand narratives. Its foundations lay in absolute control over core resources (supply chain, technology, media), linear and predictable growth models, and consumer perceptions shaped unilaterally by the brand.
III. The Cracks in the 'Castle': The Failure of 'One-Way Commands'
The torrent of the digital age is eroding the foundations of the 'castle':
  * Awakening of Consumer Sovereignty: Social media gives everyone a voice, transforming consumers from isolated individuals into networked, knowledgeable experts who compare, review, and share, no longer blindly following.
  * Rise of the 'Plaza': Platform economies (e.g., Amazon, Taobao) constitute a never-ending global marketplace; social platforms (e.g., Xiaohongshu, Douyin) become free-flowing spaces for opinions, experiences, and creations. Value is discussed in real-time and dynamically defined here.
  * Speed Over Scale: Niche interests quickly aggregate into mass trends, and product life cycles shorten dramatically. Large-scale, long-cycle standard product forging processes struggle to keep up with the rapidly changing tastes in the 'plaza.'
The dilemma of the 'castle' is that it still strives to produce 'better products,' but the competitive dimension of the market has shifted to 'who can provide richer participation and a more unique experience journey.' When people begin to discuss their needs themselves and even create solutions, the authority of the castle is lost.
Embracing the 'Plaza'
The Core Logic of the Value Co-Creation Era
In contrast to the closure of the 'castle,' the 'plaza' is an open, chaotic, and vibrant complex system. There is no single center, only countless participants and a set of basic interaction rules. The role of the enterprise undergoes a fundamental shift.
I. Core Characteristics of the 'Plaza': Openness, Emergence, and Symbiosis
  * Value Co-Creation: Value is no longer an 'inherent attribute' produced by the enterprise but is co-created through interaction between the enterprise and consumers, as well as among consumers, during use, sharing, modification, and re-creation. The value of a product equals its functional value plus all the stories, content, and social capital users create around it.
  * Experience as Product: The core of competition shifts from product functional parameters to the design of the overall experience environment. Enterprises no longer provide cold products but a 'playground' or 'toolbox' where users can play, create, and socialize.
  * Ecosystem Competition: Competition among individual products escalates to competition among ecosystems. An enterprise's success depends on whether its platform can attract the richest developers (B-end), creators (C-end), and complementary products, forming a thriving symbiotic network.
II. The New Role of the Enterprise: From 'Castle Lord' to 'Plaza Host'
Under the new paradigm, the core responsibilities of the enterprise are subverted:
1. Infrastructure Builder: Plan the 'zones' (business architecture), lay the 'water and electricity networks' (technology middle platform and data platform), and establish 'fair rules' (platform rules and values).
2. Interactive Environment Designer: Create tools and interfaces that encourage interaction and lower the barrier to creation (design tools, content templates), fostering a safe and fun interactive atmosphere.
3. Ecosystem Vitality Catalyst: Identify and empower key 'active participants' (quality users, developers, partners), plan 'themed activities' (operational activities), and stimulate the creativity and activity of the entire ecosystem.
4. Value Narrative Weaver: Instead of one-way preaching, co-weave dynamic stories about the brand with participants, collecting and amplifying the moving chapters emerging from the plaza.
From 'castle' to 'plaza' is a comprehensive shift in philosophy and practice: from control to empowerment, from transmission to interaction, from ownership to connection.
The Fatal Disconnect
Why Can't the 'Castle' Body Operate the 'Plaza'?
The lighthouse of ideas has illuminated the direction of the 'plaza,' but the harsh reality is that most enterprises remain trapped in the organizational shell of the 'castle.' This disconnect between soul and body causes the greatest pain and internal friction in transformation.
I. Conflict Between 'Departmental Walls' and 'Scenario Needs'
Consumption in the 'plaza' is unit-based on 'scenarios.' For example, in the scenario of 'an outdoor spring picnic,' consumers need not just a drink but packaging suitable for photos, convenient portability, talking points for sharing on social media, and even an emotional experience matched with weather and music. This is a cross-functional, complete solution integrating product, content, marketing, sales, and service.
However, 'castle'-style organizations are functional silos. The marketing department handles advertising (proclamation), the product department handles new product development (forging standard products), the sales department handles channel stocking (managing the network), and the e-commerce department handles the online store. Each department has its own KPIs, budget processes, and reporting systems.
When the front lines of the 'plaza' urgently need a cross-departmental 'picnic scenario solution,' internally it requires lengthy meetings, complex approvals, difficult budget splits, and ambiguous responsibility definitions. Speed, flexibility, and collaboration are lost in internal consumption.
II. The Paradox of 'Linear Processes' and 'Dynamic Feedback'
The operation of the 'castle' relies on linear, stage-gated development processes (e.g., the waterfall model from market research to launch). The vitality of the 'plaza' comes from real-time, dynamic feedback loops.
A micro-innovation based on user complaints or a sudden hot meme can hold enormous opportunity. But traditional organizational processes cannot accommodate such rapid trial-and-error and iteration. By the time an improvement goes through the 'perfect standard product' process, the hot topic in the plaza has long gone cold.
III. The Conflict Between 'Control Culture' and 'Co-Creation Risk'
The 'castle' culture emphasizes authority, accuracy, and risk aversion. The essence of 'plaza' co-creation is a certain degree of power delegation and risk sharing. Giving creative power and some voice to users and partners means brands must tolerate uncertainty and 'imperfection.' This poses a huge challenge to traditional management mindsets accustomed to controlling everything.
This disconnect leads to a common corporate phenomenon: CEOs shout 'user-centric' and 'ecosystem co-creation,' while middle and grassroots employees are trapped in their own KPI wells, exhausted by cross-departmental collaboration. Organizational mechanisms become the first stumbling block to new strategies.
Forging a 'New Organ'
Building and Operating the 'Scenario Department' as an Agile Core
To solve the above disconnect, patchwork improvements are useless. It is necessary to cultivate a new organizational organ within the 'castle' body that can fully adapt to the 'plaza' environment.
This is the strategic significance of the 'Scenario Department' (or 'Brand Growth Department'). It is not just another functional department but a 'special forces unit' and 'collaboration hub' that centers on user scenarios and horizontally penetrates all functions.
I. Positioning and Core Mission of the 'Scenario Department'
  * Positioning: A permanent agile organization within the enterprise focused on 'user scenario value mining and delivery.' It is the mapping and operations center of the 'plaza' within the enterprise.
  * Core Mission: Break down functional barriers, integrate internal and external resources, rapidly build and continuously optimize end-to-end experience solutions for specific user scenarios, and take overall responsibility for user growth and business value in that scenario.
II. Core Operating Mechanisms of the 'Scenario Department'
1. Scenario Insight and Definition:
  * Deep Dive into the 'Plaza': Through social listening, data analysis, and immersive research, rather than traditional market reports, genuinely perceive users' pain points, emotional needs, and social currency needs in specific life moments (e.g., 'working late,' 'weekend parenting,' 'fitness discipline').
  * Define the Scenario Battlefield: Clearly define the target scenario and describe the 'experience value proposition' the brand aims to provide in that scenario. For example, in the 'late-night overtime' scenario, the offering is not an 'energy drink' but '15 minutes of warm companionship and inspiration.'
2. Agile Integration and Rapid Construction:
  * Project-Based Task Force: Around a defined scenario, the scenario department head (e.g., 'Scenario Growth Officer') quickly forms a virtual, cross-functional 'task force.' Members come from product, technology, content, marketing, sales, data, and other departments, committing full-time or heavily during the project period.
  * Minimum Viable Experience (MVE): Do not pursue a comprehensive 'standard product.' The team quickly integrates existing product capabilities, content assets, channel resources, and even external partners to assemble a testable 'scenario solution prototype' in the shortest possible time. This could be a limited product bundle, a themed content set, an interactive H5, or a pop-up event.
3. Testing, Learning, and Scaling:
  * Test in the 'Plaza': Quickly launch the MVE into a real 'plaza' (specific channels or communities) for small-scale testing. Use data dashboards to monitor core metrics in real-time, such as user engagement, conversion rates, and word-of-mouth sharing.
  * Data-Driven Iteration: Adjust and optimize immediately based on feedback. For scenario solutions that perform well, quickly coordinate various functions to solidify capabilities, standardize processes, and push to broader markets for scaling. Failed attempts are quickly terminated with controlled losses.
4. Ecosystem Connection and Symbiosis:
  * Connector for External Partners: The scenario department naturally serves as the enterprise's interface for connecting with external 'plaza' co-creators. Whether co-creating content with KOLs, planning joint activities with platforms, or cross-industry product collaborations, the scenario department leads the coordination and implementation, efficiently bringing external creativity into the enterprise's internal value chain.
III. Requirements for Reshaping Organizational Culture
The successful operation of the 'Scenario Department' will force the entire organizational culture to evolve toward the 'plaza' type:
  * From 'Boss-Oriented' to 'User Scenario-Oriented': The source of decision-making authority shifts from superior instructions to scenario data and user feedback.
  * From 'Avoiding Failure' to 'Smart Trial-and-Error': Encourage rational risk-taking based on rapid validation, treating 'intelligent failures' as learning costs.
  * From 'Professional Silos' to 'T-Shaped Talent': Employees must possess deep professional expertise while also having a strong sense of collaboration and a holistic view of the business.
Footprints of the Pioneers
Insights from P&G's 'Brand Growth Department'
P&G, the global FMCG giant, has provided an excellent footnote for this 'organizational revolution' through its transformation in China. Facing the extreme competition of China's digital market and rapid changes in consumer behavior, P&G did not stop at marketing tweaks but resolutely launched a strategic-level organizational restructuring: merging the traditional brand management department with the market research department to establish a new 'Brand Growth Department.'
Meanwhile, local enterprises have also been actively exploring.
Take金星啤酒 (Jinxing Beer) as an example. It pioneered the industry's first 'Scenario Department,' directly targeting young consumer trends. This department is no longer limited to traditional channel management but focuses on mining specific consumption scenarios such as 'outdoor camping,' 'small gatherings with a buzz,' and 'home drinking.'
By analyzing consumer UGC content, they developed beers that women like to drink, such as jasmine tea and candied hawthorn flavors, and deeply interacted with consumers through content platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin, embedding products into life moments. This marks the beginning of traditional manufacturing enterprises attempting to build agile units centered on lifestyle, shifting from 'selling what we produce' to 'co-creating what scenarios need.'
The essence of this move is precisely the transformation from a functional department of the 'castle' to an agile operations team of the 'plaza.' The new department is no longer separately responsible for 'brand health' or 'market insight reports' but takes full responsibility for final, measurable business growth results (such as UGC volume, market share, sales, user data).
It requires the team to operate like running a 'plaza stall,' considering the complete closed loop from product innovation, content co-creation, omnichannel marketing to sales conversion, deeply engaging in e-commerce operations and user data insights, and rapidly responding to China-specific 'market scenarios' like live-streaming sales and social seeding.
The practices of P&G and Jinxing clearly show that organizational restructuring is the most profound, difficult, and indispensable part of strategic transformation. It is not about adding a new room next to an old house but replacing the load-bearing structure of the house.
Conclusion: The New Long March Toward 'Plaza Civilization'
From 'castle' to 'plaza' is an evolution of business civilization. It requires enterprises not only to accept the concepts of 'consumer sovereignty' and 'value co-creation' cognitively but also to completely reshape their organizational skeleton, muscles, and nerves.
The birth of the 'Scenario Department' or similar agile organizations is the key first step in this long march. It marks the beginning of enterprises using organizational forms isomorphic with the 'plaza' to serve users in the 'plaza.' This is no longer a marketing campaign but a continuous operation that reconfigures all internal resource 'supply flows' around the 'user experience flow.'
It is time for brands to completely step out of that once-glorious but now increasingly lonely 'castle.' Ahead lies the noisy, chaotic, but infinitely exciting 'digital plaza.' There is no eternal center, only flowing conversations, continuously emerging creations, and co-evolving vitality.
True brand immortality will no longer stem from merely defending a castle but from participating in and nurturing a thriving plaza. Word-of-mouth (UGC) will be the best footnote for a brand. This departure is also a return—returning to the essence of business: creating value and serving humanity.
The wheels of organizational revolution are already in motion. The future belongs to those brands that dare to tear down the walls first, step into the plaza, and learn to dance with the crowd.
**[Moving Toward the C-End] The 11th China FMCG Conference**
**Date: March 16-18, 2026**
**Location: Chengdu, China**


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## Citation metadata

- Publisher: New Distribution
- Author: 公方刚
- Published: 2025-12-27
- Canonical: https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/brands-step-down-from-the-pedestal-and-leave-the-castle-0314c5ff/
- Original source: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/eFep9_xCVDakzVHXCimxAA

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