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.

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’m convinced that storytelling will be the most differentiating business skill of the 21st century.

It’s a reminder that the most powerful brand experiences aren’t always logical, they’re felt . Symbols, sensations, rituals; these are the tools brands are using to open emotional doorways. Not just selling products, but conjuring portals that bypass the rational brain and speak directly to something older, deeper, more human.