Why It Takes a Generation to Undo Bad Corporate Habits

Go-To-Market Thinking
Written By Fred Antoine

In my consulting days, I worked with brands that could've run laps around the competition—if only they weren't chained to outdated processes. One brand in particular comes to mind: a global investment firm with enough talent to run a startup but enough internal drag to make molasses look fast. Despite having access to modern CRM tools and data dashboards, the senior folks insisted everything be tracked in spreadsheets. Not because it worked better. Just because it was what they were used to.

Their younger team members knew better. But instead of pushing for change, they followed orders. Because in traditional brands, challenging the system isn't encouraged—it's punished. The result? An operation stuck in a time vortex, functioning as if it's still 2003.

And here's the thing: that story isn't unique. It's how a lot of brands run.

The Real Reason Change Feels Impossible

You'd think with all the software, research, and case studies out there, brands would be better at evolving. But entrenched behaviors are sticky. Not because they're effective, but because they're safe. And safe feels good when you're staring down quarterly targets.

Most legacy brands are where new ideas go to die. Innovation doesn't fail for lack of creativity. It fails because nobody wants to be the first to poke the bear. People fall in line. Processes calcify. Decision-making gets slower. Risk gets rebranded as recklessness. Culture rewards conformity, not clarity.

What you end up with is a room full of smart people following bad habits because "that’s how things have always been done."

Case in Point: How We Communicate

Texting customers used to be taboo. Now it’s table stakes.

But you’d be surprised how many brands still think of texting as unprofessional. I’ve had clients tell me, flat out, that email and phone calls are "the only real options" for customer comms. Meanwhile, their customers are literally ignoring their calls and deleting their emails without opening them.

Here's the reality:

  • 48% of consumers say texting is their preferred way to hear from brands. Only 22% say email.

  • SMS open rates? Around 98%. Email? Maybe 20–30% if you’re lucky.

  • Over half of people say they’d rather text a brand than call it.

And yet, entire industries act like SMS is still a fad. Because change is hard. Especially when it doesn’t come from the top.

So Why Does It Take a Generation?

Because legacy culture is self-reinforcing. The people making the decisions are often the ones who benefited from the old system. They're not trying to slow progress—they just don’t feel the pain of the status quo the way their teams or customers do.

And even when someone on the inside has a better idea, they don't bring it forward. Why?

  • Fear of looking out of line

  • Fear of being responsible for the change they suggested

As a result, a lot of "innovation" in legacy brands ends up being cosmetic. You might get a shiny new dashboard or some rebranded KPIs, but the underlying behavior stays the same. Because no one ever challenged it at the root.

What Younger Brands Get Right

By contrast, newer brands tend to start with customer behavior, not internal tradition. They ask:

  • Where are our customers spending their time?

  • How do they want to be spoken to?

  • What would make this easier for them?

Then they build the process backward from there. They’re not afraid to text. Or to use tools that actually make work visible. Or to kill off processes that don’t serve anyone but the person who invented them five years ago.

That flexibility pays off. Whether it's DTC brands converting more through SMS, restaurants increasing revenue through mobile-first loyalty programs, or even old brands rediscovering new tricks (like Dickey's Barbecue Pit getting 74% SMS click-through rates), the lesson is clear:

When you meet your customers where they are, you win.

You Don't Have to Burn It All Down

None of this means you need to ditch everything that worked before. But you do need to ask yourself: Is this still working for the people we’re trying to reach?

And if the answer is no, then the real work begins.

Here’s what that might look like:

  • Letting go of processes that only exist to serve internal politics

  • Listening to the people closest to the customer

  • Prioritizing clarity over control

  • Redefining "professional" to include what's actually effective

That’s the kind of thinking that opens up new markets, deepens brand loyalty, and actually moves revenue.

If You're Ready to Change the Playbook

You don’t need another tool. You need a shift in thinking. Monument Four works with brands who are ready to get clear on how they sell, how they speak, and who they’re really trying to reach.

Because the only thing worse than a bad habit is passing it on to the next generation.

Let’s build something better.

Fred Antoine