The Socrates Triple Filter for Building an Admirable Brand

By Ishola N. Ayodele, fimc-CMC

“An admirable brand is one that inspires awe through integrity and excellence.” Ishola Ayodele

 


In today’s algorithm-driven economy, brands are rewarded for visibility, not integrity. Content is cheap. Attention is expensive. And AI has made it dangerously easy to sound intelligent without being truthful. The admirable brands are the ones that have successfully moved from visibility to credibility.

What exactly is an admirable brand?

“Admirable” springs from the Latin word “admirabilis” meaning "worthy of admiration" or "wonderful." That is, evoking something that inspires awe. An admirable brand is one that inspires awe through integrity and excellence.

Marketing scholars C. Whan Park, Deborah J. MacInnis, and Andreas B. Eisingerich, in their groundbreaking book Brand Admiration: Building a Business People Love (2016), define brand admiration as the degree to which customers develop a deep, personal connection with a brand through trust, love, and respect. They argue that admired brands deliver three exponential benefits: they enable (build trust), entice (build love), and enrich (build respect).

Ronald J. Alsop also argued in “The 18 Immutable Laws of Corporate Reputation” (2004) that such brands earn lasting respect through consistent character. Charles J. Fombrun’s Reputation: Realizing Value from the Corporate Image (1996) further shows how they convert intangible trust into tangible advantage.

Socrates Triple Filter

A weary traveler once stopped Socrates on the road: “Master, I must tell you something about your friend.” The philosopher pauses. “Before you speak, apply my Triple Filter. Is it true? Is it good? Is it useful?” The man falters on every count. Socrates smiles: “Then why tell it at all?”

This ancient wisdom rooted in a story passed down through centuries and echoed in the Yoruba adage “A good name is better than riches” is no mere anecdote. It is a timeless blueprint for leaders and brands in the digital age.

How to apply the Socrates Triple Filter to social media branding, and watch your presence transform from noise to legacy.

1. Filter of Truth: Authenticity Over Hype

Is this absolutely true? Can I stand by it with evidence?

Share real stories, verified achievements, and genuine insights not exaggerated claims or AI fluff (AI-generated misinformation or Synthetic authenticity). Fact check statistics and testimonials. Be transparent about setbacks.

Example: A personal brand claiming “300% growth in six months” must show receipts. Corporate giants avoiding greenwashing during crises.

Brand Impact: Followers trust you. A 2026 study found brand authenticity significantly enhances consumer trust, forging loyalty that hype cannot match (Lyu, 2026).

 

2. Filter of Goodness: Build Up, Don’t Tear Down

Is this good or kind? Does it uplift, inspire, or add positive value?

Focus on empowering content: motivational stories, helpful tips. Handle criticism with grace no public shade. Use humor wisely.

Example: Instead of dragging rivals, spotlight what makes you unique. Respond to comments with empathy and solutions.

Brand Impact: You become a class act. People defend brands rooted in kindness. As Mark Schaefer powerfully argues in Known: The Handbook for Building and Unleashing Your Personal Brand (2017), generosity and positive contribution make you memorable and defensible in crowded spaces.

 

3. Filter of Usefulness: Value Driven Content Strategy

Is this useful? Does it serve my audience or move the brand forward?

Every post must solve a problem or spark action tips, case studies, behind the scenes that truly help. Skip vanity or irrelevant trends.

Example: Educational carousels on strategic communication or community posts fostering real dialogue.

Brand Impact: Audiences return. High value, useful content drives significantly higher engagement and sustainable growth. Donald Miller’s Building a StoryBrand (2017) teaches us to position ourselves as guides who solve customer problems exactly the kind of usefulness that creates loyal followers.

 

Living Proof Across Continents

Dangote Industries responded to COVID-19 with action funding isolation centres, medical infrastructure, and national relief efforts.
It chose measurable impact over messaging, embodying Truth, Goodness, and Usefulness.
This was not communication for applause, but intervention for impact.

Virgin Atlantic, in contrast, humanized crisis response during global aviation shutdown by redeploying cabin crew to support the NHS.
It also communicated transparently about its financial struggles and survival plans.
In doing so, it proved that admiration is earned through empathy, action, and honesty not noise.

Pause now. Scroll through your last three posts. Did they pass all three filters?

As a communication strategist, I have seen leaders and brands who master this filter not just survive social media, they redefine it. Because in the end, noise fades, algorithms change, but character remains the only currency that never depreciates.

Ishola, N. Ayodele is a distinguished and multiple award-winning strategic communication expert who specializes in ‘Message Engineering’. He helps Organizations, Brands and Leaders Communicate in a way that yields the desired outcome. He is the author of the seminal work, 'PR Case Studies; Mastering the Trade,' and Dean, the School of Impactful Communication (TSIC). He can be reached via ishopr2015@gmail.com or 08077932282.

 

References  

Alsop, R. J. (2004). The 18 immutable laws of corporate reputation. Free Press.

Fombrun, C. J. (1996). Reputation: Realizing value from the corporate image. Harvard Business School Press.

Lyu, M. (2026). Unpacking the effects of brand authenticity on consumer trust. PMC, Article 12827155.

Miller, D. (2017). Building a StoryBrand. HarperCollins Leadership.

Park, C. W., MacInnis, D. J., & Eisingerich, A. B. (2016). Brand admiration: Building a business people love. Wiley.

Salsify. (2026). 2026 Consumer Research.

Schaefer, M. (2017). Known: The handbook for building and unleashing your personal brand. Routledge.






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