Brands After Vibes

In our present technological era, humans have also needed a new framework to avoid drowning in the daily firehose of entertainment, media, and information. Given this setting of increasing complexity, it becomes more appealing to use an associative concept like “vibes” as a simplifying framework for understanding or self-expression. If we can’t mak... See more

In our present technological era, humans have also needed a new framework to avoid drowning in the daily firehose of entertainment, media, and information. Given this setting of increasing complexity, it becomes more appealing to use an associative concept like “vibes” as a simplifying framework for understanding or self-expression. If we can’t mak... 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.

“Brand vision transmission,” he said. “Yes?” She raised an eyebrow. “Narrative. Consumers don’t buy products, so much as narratives.” “That’s old,” she said. “It must be, because I’ve heard it before.” She took a sip of cooled coffee. “To some extent, an idea like that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Designers are taught to invent characters, w

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