Tecovas identified a storytelling OKR. It became a true ‘Love Letter to Texas’

About three years ago, David Lafitte surveyed the website, social media, and marketing content from Tecovas, the Western apparel brand he leads, and realized that the messaging had become “very diluted.” So the Austin-based company decided to establish a company-wide OKR—the goal-setting framework it uses, short for “objectives and key results,”—that focused on storytelling. Tecovas brought on more creative types who experimented with different messaging, including long-form commercials, and things started to click, Lafitte said during a discussion at the Fast Company Grill at SXSW. “I think everyone embraced this storytelling concept because we have to talk about the materials, the product, but doing it in a way that drives an emotional connection with the consumer,” Lafitte said. One of the brand’s early storytelling successes came in 2024 with a new, 30-second commercial that aired during the final game of the 2024 World Series. “The response was absolutely incredible,”