It’s fine for a brand to be somewhat aspirational about its own sense of self, as long as that’s clearly articulated in visionary language. Saying “we want to be the industry leader in X” is reasonable, where broadly claiming leadership without evidence could easily be misleading.

A brand should not, however, be aspirational about what it sells. The buyer must have an honest view of what’s being purchased. It’s become common for early-stage tech products to promise future functionality as software expands, but it’s incumbent upon the brand to be clear about what’s shipping now versus later.

I like to compare the evolution of a brand to the decision a person makes when considering the purchase of a new shirt. Three different requirements are in place.

Functional: Does it work?

The shirt must perform its basic duties as an article of clothing, providing protection against the elements while helping eliminate nudity.

Size: Does it fit?

The shirt must also fall within acceptable parameters of dimension in relation to the body of the wearer.

Style: Can I get away with it?

This is where aspiration kicks in. Even when a shirt functions and fits, the wearer must judge whether he or she can “pull it off” stylistically.

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A brand should only be as aspirational as it can credibly get away with. Overreaching on that third requirement risks a breach of authenticity that people will be able to sniff out—which could mean a loss of trust.