Does your next launch pass this test?

At our last Connect LDN in March, a highly practical lesson in resilient growth came from Joe Jaques, representing the 8th-generation family business, Jaques of London.

When you have tons of heritage (like inventing Croquet, Ping Pong, and Snakes & Ladders), modernising the business for a digital age without losing the trust you've built over centuries is a massive challenge.

How do they do it? By ignoring the hype cycle.

The 229-year-old litmus test for product development

"A lot of people get excited about following a trend and developing a product on that," Joe shared on stage. "But I think you've got to always make sure it passes a sort of litmus test."

Here is how you can apply the Jaques playbook to your own brand to ensure long-term resilience:

1. Establish your absolute core principle

Before you look at what is trending on TikTok or what your competitors are doing, you must define the single, unchanging purpose of your brand. For Jaques, it is incredibly simple: providing entertainment and bringing families together.

If a potential new toy or game doesn't achieve that specific goal, it doesn't get made.

2. Check every new product against your original vision

When a micro-trend sweeps through your industry, it is tempting to rapidly source a white-label product just to capture the search volume. Joe uses a brilliant framework to stop this:

"For us it's easy. Would my great-great-great-grandfather be proud of this? You've got to always have a check of every new product that you do."

Ask yourself: Would the day-one version of myself, who founded this brand on quality and passion, be proud to put our logo on this item? If the answer is no, you are trading your long-term reputation for short-term cash.

3. Anchor your resilience in your people, not your funnels

Jaques of London has survived staggering historical events. During the panel, Joe mentioned looking at a photograph of their headquarters completely bombed out during the London Blitz.

"I kind of thought, look, if we can get through that, we can get through most things."

When the post-COVID eCommerce boom inevitably collapsed into a bust, Joe didn't look to a new marketing funnel to save them. He looked to his team.

"We talk lots about building customers and sales funnels... but actually, you're building a whole organisation of lots of very important people, and they're trusting you with their livelihoods. Building a team is absolutely everything in that resilience piece."

The Takeaway

Fads fade, but core principles compound. The next time your team suggests launching a product just because a competitor is doing it, run it through your own Litmus Test.

Does it align with your original mission? Does it actually serve your customer? If you build products based on your core identity rather than the current hype, you build trust.

Watch the full episode

Podcast: How a 25-Year-Old Beauty Retailer Still Outperforms Brands Half Its Age

Are you relying too heavily on acquiring new customers?

In our latest podcast episode, we sit down with Chelsey Louise Edmunds, Head of Brand and Campaign at Escentual.com, to discuss how a heritage premium beauty retailer continues to dominate the market a quarter of a century after launching.

Chelsey breaks down their playbook for thriving in a hyper-competitive space, focusing heavily on building unshakable customer loyalty, navigating massive brand partnerships, and the marketing levers they pull to keep their community coming back.

If you want a masterclass in long-term retention over short-term acquisition, you need to listen to this.

Add to queue on Spotify

Connect LDN: A Curated Strategy Conference for UK Founders

15th October 2026 | London | 9AM - 5PM

Connect LDN is designed for maximum return on your time. No long-winded theory or sales pitches, just raw, tactical advice from other brands, plus the networking you need to unblock your business.

Here is exactly what you get for showing up:

• Lightning Panels: Short, sharp, and honest sessions. Listen to the growth playbooks, hard-won advice, and massive learnings from leaders at Escentual.com, Saucony, MINISO UK, Townhouse, ilāpothecary, Nylah's Naturals, Valentte London and more.
• Build a Network: Got a major bottleneck? Grab a drink and bounce ideas off founders from all over the UK who have been there. Make vital connections with peers and the tech partners who can fix your leaky funnels.
• Premium Hospitality: We take care of everything so you can focus on strategy. Breakfast, lunch, evening networking drinks, and entertainment are entirely on us.

One day away from the screen. An upgrade to your growth. And entirely complimentary for brand founders.

Register for Connect LDN

In Other News…

Back-to-School Shoppers Are Starting Early but Holding Out for Deals:Although back-to-school shopping is already in full swing for many parents, nearly half (46%) of consumers are currently holding off on finalising their purchases as they wait for better promotional events and sales to stretch their budgets.

What this means for you: Don't wait until late August to push your back-to-school messaging. To capture these highly price-sensitive shoppers right now, you need to launch value-driven promotions, clear product bundles, or emphasise flexible payment options immediately.

TikTok Shop Tests Subscriptions in a Major Pivot to Loyalty: Moving away from purely impulse purchases, TikTok Shop is rolling out a product subscription feature for select US sellers, allowing customers to easily set up repeat auto-replenishment for beauty, food, and health items.

What this means for you: TikTok is rapidly evolving from a discovery engine into a retention powerhouse. If you sell replenishable goods, you need to treat TikTok Shop as a core, long-term loyalty channel, not just a place to hunt for one-off viral sales.