this is your brand with a universe

A brand universe strategy is not necessarily the right approach for every single brand, particularly those in categories where trust outweighs the need for entertainment. Consumers don’t want their banks or politicians to be universes – they want them to be trustworthy and reliably boring. But for upstart lifestyle brands, there is a great deal of... See more

Nikita Walia • this is your brand with a universe

eera*

and you don’t need to use a brand-universe strategy strictly for entertainment purposes or for the mass market.

it can be used as an approach where you become the most self-expressive version of yourself as a creative through your brand and business, in a way that is the most enjoyable and the most nourishing.

this is your YOUNIVERSE.

Practically speaking, a brand universe strategy allows:

Flexibility for the Evolving Landscape: The Brand Universe Strategy isn't a rigid script, but a dynamic framework. It allows you to adapt messaging, content, and experiences across different channels and platforms as trends and customer preferences evolve.

Deeper, imaginative storytelling:... See more

Nikita Walia • this is your brand with a universe

Brand Universe Strategy (n.): A post-modern brand development approach exceeding the confines of traditional product differentiation. It prioritizes a flexible and cohesive brand experience across all customer touchpoints, cultivating an emotional resonance with the target audience.

Unlike standard brand strategy's emphasis on messaging and... See more

Nikita Walia • this is your brand with a universe

eera*

Turning customers into co-creators.

This reminds me Nothing Company’s approach to building their own brand, especially with their CMF counter part.

Allowing those within their community & customer-base to participate in the building process of their products, and their overall vision.

Inclusiveness is everything.

The reality is that brands live in a larger communications ecosystem – a universe – a constellation of messages, creative approaches, and touchpoints that serve to propel a larger brand message. For modern brand building, brands must build a rich immersive world anchored in a core value proposition that radiates outward and builds a sense of... See more

Nikita Walia • this is your brand with a universe

A broader, entertainment-focused brand strategy also opens the door for new revenue models and IP. From fashion brands seeking to become entertainment companies and building studios to fitness brands like Equinox building hotels, to the Ikea Roblox store, a universe-focused approach diversifies a business, taking its core ethos outwards for fans... See more

Nikita Walia • this is your brand with a universe

eera*

diversification of not only offerings, but experiences as well that can immerse the audience or customer into the world of that particular brand.

“A clear brand universe is not just about the brand, but about the unique, evolving constellation of connections to other brands, personalities, places online and off, and other cultural touchpoints, that create the fullest, richest context and associations in the audience(s)’s mind when juxtaposed all together.”

– Nick Susi, Executive Director of... See more

Nikita Walia • this is your brand with a universe

Instead of starting brand first, you’re now starting cultural impact and audience first. Rather than listing 40 different benefits for Balm Dotcom (which is arguably just expensive Vaseline), Glossier built an aspirational thing to become: a Glossier girl. Ten years ago, a tube of Balm Dotcom was cuter to look at than a tube of Carmex or Aquaphor,... See more

Nikita Walia • this is your brand with a universe

eera*

Keyword: myth-making.

Myth-makers.

To build a brand universe strategy, consider the brand’s desired cultural impact before all else and work inwards towards the desired audiences, core brand message, values, etc. Think carefully about how this message is expressed practically, and why people will care.

Below, I’ve included some questions to ask yourself and a sample model for... See more

Nikita Walia • this is your brand with a universe

In the absence of religion and other community belonging, consumers yearn to find the brands they can use as signals for identity curation and kinship – signaling to other Glossier or Stanley cup girls that no actually, we’re the same. Brands do this signaling implicitly (owning Aesop hand soap reveals something about you - well-to-do,... See more

Nikita Walia • this is your brand with a universe

eera*

People want to identify with something: a message, a vision, a lifestyle. That’s what great brands do the best at, they make people feel that they are a part of something, something important, perhaps, something even transcendant.