THE CURRENT

IDENTIFY YOUR BRAND’S INNATE NATURE. Some call it chi. Some call it sixth sense. Some call it gut feeling. Whatever your term, it’s obvious that intuition is a key factor in human relationships. Which is also to say: it’s a key factor in your brand and its...

BRING YOUR BRAND THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS. Sight tends to be the first impression. Sound most directly affects mood. But our most primal sense is smell. It’s the first sense we fully develop as babies. It’s the only sense directly tied to our limbic system, which...

SAVOR YOUR BRAND’S FLAVOR. Taste is perhaps the most discerning of our senses. We can immediately detect nuances among five different modes: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness and savoriness. What’s more, we can detect mixtures of those flavors, and appreciate...

get in touch with your brand’s power. Of all the senses, marketers most often underestimate the power of touch. But numerous studies show that consumers are far more likely to buy a product after touching it. Part of this is the tactile sense of being able to interact...

LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR BRAND IS SAYING. Your brand has a distinct sound, whether you realize that or not. Sure, elements such as music and voiceover (for radio, television, podcasts, etc.) are part of your brand’s overall sound. But those are only part of the aural...

SEE YOUR BRAND FROM EVERY ANGLE. Start by asking yourself one visually-oriented question: if my brand were a person, what would that person look like? Old and wise? Young and energetic? Intellectual and reserved? Muscular and powerful? If this sounds silly, may we...

Think a logo is a brand? It’s hammer time. Yes, most people think a brand and a logo are the same thing. But few people think a toolbox and a hammer are the same thing. Ask the person closest to you right now to find a hammer. She won’t come back with a toolbox....