Fight The Average
How to Build a Brand That Truly Stands Out
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In a world where brands are starting to look, sound, and feel the same, there’s only one question that matters: Do you dare to be different?
This keynote is not a dry lecture on brand strategy. Fight The Average is a wake-up call — bold, unfiltered, and full of energy. Dries and Yuri take the audience on a journey through the World of Average, where coffee bars, hotels, and brands blindly copy one another, and where “just good” has somehow become good enough. Companies pour millions into pleasing algorithms, but forget one crucial truth: people are not pixels — they want to feel something.
But they don’t leave you stuck in mediocrity. Dries and Yuri show how to break the mold and build a brand that becomes truly top of mind — without selling your soul to marketing clichés. They close with their UnAverage Framework™, a practical and powerful tool that helps brands rise above the noise and position themselves not as just another one, but as the one.
This keynote is fearless, packed with sharp insights, relatable stories, and zero fluff.
Ready to Fight the Average?
by
Dries Henau and Yuri Vandenbogaerde are more than creative entrepreneurs — they are a dynamic duo who’ve spent over 15 years building brands, businesses, and a life together. Known for their sharp eye for branding and unshakable sense of style, Dries and Yuri first made waves in 2012 with the launch of WASBAR, a quirky fusion of laundromat and café that redefined how people do laundry. The concept became an instant success and was acquired in 2015 by Top Brands, the company behind Pizza Hut, Ellis, and Boulangerie Paul.
Their entrepreneurial journey didn’t stop there. In 2018, they turned the Belgian retail scene on its head again with Chez Claire, a luxury éclair brand complete with champagne pairings and signature pink boxes. The brand was later sold to La Lorraine, a leading player in the pastry industry, and is now available in Delhaize stores across Belgium.
What sets Dries and Yuri apart is their instinct for what makes a brand truly unforgettable. Today, under the name The Brand Guys, they work globally with clients such as Match Group (yes, the one behind Tinder), eToro, and boutique hotels from Budapest to Kenya to Aruba. Their mission? To help brands escape the trap of mediocrity and create identities that people don’t just recognize — but fall in love with.
In their latest book, "Fight The Average", Dries and Yuri deliver a no-nonsense manifesto for businesses stuck in the grey zone of sameness. Through their proprietary UnAverage Framework™, they show how daring creativity and authentic storytelling can help brands stand out in a world where everyone looks the same.
No beige branding. No chasing algorithms. Just bold ideas, clear identities, and experiences that make an impact.
Founders of WASBAR, Brand Strategists, and Authors of "Fight The Average"
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