"Crucial in growing a brand"—Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary shares how marketing builds trust beyond the founder

Kevin O'Leary, investor on Shark Tank, recently emphasized the role of marketing and social media in separating a brand's identity from its founder. In an Instagram post on May 12, 2025, he noted:

"Marketing and social media are crucial in growing a brand because a brand is something that people build trust into, not you personally."

According to Kevin, consumers return to products they trust, not individuals. He explained that the connection is built through storytelling across digital platforms, helping businesses scale through consistent engagement and message clarity.

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Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary outlines how social media and storytelling establish brand credibility

Why marketing must shift the focus off the founder?

In his May Instagram video, O’Leary discussed how trust forms around a brand, not the person behind it. The Shark Tank investor said:

“They like the product. They like the service. They buy it again. They tell others about it. That's brand building.”

According to him, the founder’s personal identity is secondary once the product is in the market. O’Leary pointed to social media as an essential tool to reinforce this process. He stated:

“How do you do that? With social media and storytelling. That's the key to success”

He underlined that these methods allow businesses to remain visible and relevant to their target audience. Kevin highlighted a structural approach: build the brand so it remains resilient beyond the individual. This involves distributing messaging across digital platforms where customers spend time and basing content on product experience rather than the founder’s background.

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Storytelling as a requirement in brand communication

On April 11, 2025, Kevin appeared in an Instagram video featuring a discussion with two entrepreneurs: Anh Trousdale, CEO and co-owner of Pholicious, and Rob Neuner, CEO of Boost Oxygen. He used their examples to stress the importance of storytelling in business pitches and brand communication. Calling it an "X-factor, he stated:

“You don't want to back an entrepreneur that can't tell a story.”

The Shark Tank investor explained that both Trousdale and Neuner were able to present their business narratives concisely and were capable of delivering their story in under "90 seconds."

He noted that this ability allows a business to connect efficiently with both investors and customers, increasing its credibility. He underscored the need for narratives to reflect genuine experiences.

“These are authentic stories, the real stories,” he said.

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Authentic stories in action

Continuing his remarks from his April Instagram video, Kevin O’Leary pointed to the specific stories shared by Anh Trousdale and Rob Neuner as examples of how authenticity drives brand success. In Trousdale’s case, he described the origin of Pholicious:

“This whole thing about Momma Lowe's recipe. You should have seen her...She was a whirling dervish on Shark Tank with this. Because she's in a total commodity business. But she told a great story and I loved it.”

O’Leary also discussed how Rob Neuner presented the concept behind Boost Oxygen. He noted that the product—oxygen packaged in a can—seemed unconventional at first. However, Neuner’s ability to explain its value through a clear and compelling narrative helped the brand gain attention and momentum.

Kevin O’Leary further said that he does not support entrepreneurs who are unable to tell their narratives.

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Shark Tank airs Fridays at 8 PM ET on ABC, with episodes also available to stream on Hulu.