Far too often, we tend to think of branding as an executional activity—logos, colors, monikers—as opposed to an ideological exploration. That’s because our view of branding is far too narrow. Brands are signifiers that conjure up thoughts and feelings about a company, product, or entity, and they can unlock opportunities for leaders to catalyze

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Something sinister happened over the past algorithmically driven decade: brands took a sharp turn toward efficiency and benefits mindshare, often focusing on a laundry list of functional and emotional whoop-de-doos.

It’s this paint-inside-the-lines mentality that stokes irrelevancy and meaninglessness. And the whole point of a brand is to create an... See more

I often think and write about the importance of “world building” in today’s mixed-media reality: Brands have more control than ever over where and how consumers experience their point of view, from digital feeds and properties to packaging design and retail merchandising. And with that comes many new opportunities to build emotional texture.