We dive behind the scenes of "Follow the Feeling: Brand Building in a Noisy World" by Kai D Wright, offering a backstage pass to the Preface and Introduction.
In this episode, we unpack:
- Surprising research from Bill Gross of Idealab reveals timing is more important than team or idea for startup success
- Only half of Fortune 500 companies survive over time, highlighting the vulnerability of even established brands
- Today's business landscape is increasingly social, data-driven, experiential, and digitally enabled
- The LAVEC framework (Lexicon triggers, Audio cues, Visual stimuli, Experience drivers, and Cultural connections) provides a system for creating emotional brand connections
- Humans are "feeling machines that think" and emotions drive our decisions more than rational thought
- Brands like SoulCycle, Airbnb, Disney, and Gatorade have successfully embedded positive emotions in their DNA
- Assess what feeling your brand currently triggers and what feeling you want it to evoke
- Evaluate your brand across the five LAVEC territories to identify strengths and areas for improvement
For creative inspiration, subscribe to the weekly Brand Builder Lab newsletter.
Produced by Kai D. Wright. Follow Kai on LinkedIn.
Buy the companion book, "Follow the Feeling: Brand Building in a Noisy World" on Amazon.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So we're going to be looking at this book like it's a
backstage pass.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
We're going to be going behind the scenes of
follow the feeling brandbuilding in a noisy world.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I like that backstage pass idea.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Yeah, just really trying to snag the insights and
get them to you.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Think like we're your book ninjas.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Insight ninjas.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Yeah, insight ninjas.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
And we're going to be hitting you with our signature,
three by three recap.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Three by three.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
If you've never caught one of these recaps
before.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah, for our new listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
We're going to be giving you three things to know,
three things to do and threethings to share.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I like it.
I like that format.
It keeps it nice and simple.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Yeah, it keeps it really punchy, so educational
and easy to follow.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Easy to follow.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
So our mission today is to give a quick and concise
overview of Follow the Feelingby Kai D Wright.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Kai D Wright Follow the Feeling Excellent.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
All right, so let's jump into this thing.
First up, three things to know.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Three things to know.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Number one early entrepreneurial roots.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Love it.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
So back when Kai was in fourth grade, he had a
business.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Oh wow, fourth grade, that's impressive.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
It was a nonprofit recycling phone book.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Recycling phone books .
Ok, that's interesting.
So even back then he was tryingto solve a problem.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Yeah, super young and thinking that way.
That entrepreneurial spiritalready brewing Right, and then
fast forward a few years he is12.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
OK.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
And he has his grass cutting business.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
The classic.
Classic, yeah, and he's cuttingthat St Augustine grass down in
Florida.
Oh yeah, I've heard about thatstuff.
It's tough.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
It is tough stuff and he had to work with all the
constraints of family time.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Right.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
And school and get this For six years.
He was essentially doing CRMbefore CRM was even a thing.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Wow, six years, that's a long time.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
I know it's a long time really learning customer
relationship management righthow to get new customers, how to
keep those customers happy yeah, customer acquisition, customer
loyalty yeah, and he said helearned a lot about how to make
businesses work or not makessense.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
So six years of practical experience there, all
right.
So what's our second thing toknow?
Speaker 1 (02:00):
second thing to know is the primacy of timing.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Primacy of timing.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Okay so this is really interesting.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
I'm intrigued.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
He references Bill Gross, who's the founder of
Idealab.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Okay, yeah, I know Idealab.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
You know Idealab.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, they've been behind some big companies.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Huge companies Airbnb , Instagram, Uber, YouTube,
LinkedIn.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Huge yeah.
And he looked at all thesestartups and the factors that
led to their success.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Okay, interesting.
So what did he find?
So he looked at timing, theteam, the idea, the business
model and funding.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Pretty comprehensive list.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yeah, the findings were pretty surprising.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
So what was the most important factor?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Timing.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Timing really more than the team or the idea.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Even more than the team or the idea.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Wow, that's fascinating.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
And he also drops this knowledge bomb.
Only half of Fortune 500companies survive.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
What only half.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Over time only half.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Oh wow, that really makes you think about the
importance of timing.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah, that's huge right.
Like these are massiveestablished companies.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Right, exactly, and they're still vulnerable.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Still vulnerable.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
So really puts it into perspective.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
It does Okay.
So we've got entrepreneurialroots, We've got timing.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
What's our third thing to know?
Our third thing to know is theshift in the business landscape.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Okay, so how has the business landscape changed?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
So he contrasts the business world that he grew up
in.
He calls himself an eldermillennial.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
But a digital native, Okay, and how different it is
today from you know the businessworld of the past.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Right, Like how is it different?
Speaker 1 (03:34):
It's so social now, data-driven, experiential
content-driven and digitallyenabled.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
It's like a whole new world.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Whole new world and every new platform, new piece of
tech, every service.
We're just drowning in data.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Drowning in data?
Yeah, I feel that.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
You feel?
Speaker 2 (03:51):
that Absolutely.
We're constantly bombarded withinformation.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
And even experienced leaders can get totally lost in
it.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Makes sense.
It's overwhelming.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
It's overwhelming, and it's this tension between
you know, having tons of dataand finding meaningful insights.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Right, it's not just about the quantity of data, it's
about what you do with it.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Exactly, and it's interesting, he even talks about
his own personal struggle withthat.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
So how does he deal with this data overload?
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Well, he calls it his time management issue Time
management issue.
Okay, but it's really thisbalancing act of constantly
learning and doing?
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Oh, I see, yeah, trying to stay ahead of the
curve while still getting thingsdone.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Right, and that's what led him to be a scholar
practitioner.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Scholar practitioner, so both teaching and advising.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Exactly, and you know he really sees the value in
bridging that gap between theoryand real world.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, that's a valuable perspective.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
It is.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
So he's teaching at Columbia and advising businesses
.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yes, exactly, and by the time he was on the Forbes 30
under 30 list.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Okay, impressive.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
He had five dream jobs.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Five dream jobs.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Wow, he's not wasting any time.
Right, he was advising on hugebrand and marketing campaigns.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So at a young age he was already working with major
companies.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Working with celebrities, shaping personal
brands for top execs influencers.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
He was really immersed in the branding world.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Yeah, and through all of that he saw these five core
parts of any brand.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Interesting, so those experiences really informed his
understanding of branding.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Yes, and he also brings in his background in
economics from UChicago.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
And he was a science fair enthusiast.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Oh wow, so he's got this analytical side to him as
well.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Yeah, and he connects it all to pattern recognition
and how important that is forstrategy.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
That makes sense, seeing those trends and
understanding what they mean.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
And you know, professionally, he's always
focused on how companies can usedigital to connect with
audiences.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Right, because that's the landscape.
Now Everyone's online.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Right no-transcript.
They're making ourrelationships feel colder.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Interesting.
So in this age ofhyper-connectivity, we're
actually feeling moredisconnected.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Sometimes it feels that way.
Yeah, I could see that, andacademically he's interested in
behavioral economics 12-year-oldeconomics Okay.
And he studied under GaryBecker, a Nobel laureate.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Wow, so he's got some serious academic credentials.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Yeah, and you know that's really shaped his
thinking how people behave, whatmotivates them.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Right, because ultimately, branding is about
understanding people.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Exactly so.
How does all of this cometogether in the book?
So he analyzed 1,500 companies1,500 companies.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Wow, that's a lot of data.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
To identify those five parts of a brand.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
And 100 anomaly companies.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Anomaly companies.
What are those?
Speaker 1 (06:37):
These are companies that defied the typical patterns
.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Oh, so they were doing something different,
something unique.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yeah, they had exceptional brand resonance.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Interesting, so he's looking at what sets these
companies apart.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Right, and that's what informed the core framework
of the book.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Makes sense.
So what is this frameworkSelect?
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Okay, Lexicon triggers audio cues, visual
stimuli, experience and culturalconnections.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Okay, so it's like a holistic approach to branding.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
It is and it's all about finding your brand's true
North Star.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
True North Star.
And like that and hacking andhijacking culture.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Hacking and hijacking culture.
Okay, that sounds a little bitedgy.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
It's about being disruptive.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I see.
So it's about finding thatsweet spot between authenticity
and cultural relevance.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Exactly and he has this global perspective.
You know he lived in Germany aspart of a military family,
traveled extensively and heemphasizes that these five brand
areas are universal.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
That's interesting, so it's not just limited to one
specific culture or region.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
It's a global framework.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
All right, so let's talk a little bit more about Kai
himself.
Yeah, what's his background?
Speaker 2 (07:38):
So Kai D Wright is a strategy advisor.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
For senior execs.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Lecturer at Columbia.
Impressive Global consultingpartner at Ogilvy.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Wow, he's got a pretty impressive resume.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Yeah, he's been recognized by Forbes and Adweek.
Yeah, he's been recognized byForbes and Adweek.
Okay Worked with Bank ofAmerica HP.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Big names, spent a decade at Columbia as a student
and as an instructor.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Okay, so he's really familiar with both the academic
and the business world.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Yeah, and his focus is on influence and persuasion.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Makes sense for someone working in branding.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
And he calls himself an intellectual misfit.
Intellectual misfit, that's aninteresting way to describe
himself, yeah, shaped by hisupbringing and his diverse
experiences.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
And he's really at the intersection of media tech
and culture.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
So he's got this unique perspective.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Yeah, and the book argues that the most important
expression of a brand is how itmakes people feel.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
How it makes people feel, so it's all about emotion.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
It is, and you know he argues that we are driven by
emotions.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Right, we're not always rational creatures.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
And that strategically leveraging
feelings through Levesque is acompetitive advantage.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
So it's not just about logic and reason, it's
about tapping into thoseemotional connections.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Exactly, and he has over 100 brand examples and
insights from behavioral science.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
So he's backing up his claims with real world
evidence.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Yeah, and he even talks about his own selfish
career goal.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Selfish career goal.
What's that?
Speaker 1 (09:01):
He always wanted to be constantly learning.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
OK, so always seeking out new knowledge and
experiences.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Yeah, through short term roles, starting with his
first position at Ogilvy, andthen five dream roles in 10
years.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Now, that's a lot of movement.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
He intentionally sought out those different
experiences.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
So he's a big believer in continuous learning
and growth.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Yeah, and he encountered so many questions
from leaders.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Like what kind of questions?
Speaker 1 (09:25):
How large companies can learn from startups.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Okay, yeah, that's a common one.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
How brands can stay relevant.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Especially in today's noisy world.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Right how to navigate this digital revolution and
what are the new rules ofbranding?
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Yeah, the game has changed, for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
And he mentions Emily Wapnick's three traits for
disruptors.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Oh yeah, I've heard of her.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
What are?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
those traits Adaptability, synthesizing
information and patternrecognition.
So basically being able toadjust, to change, make sense of
data and spot trends.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Exactly, and those are super relevant today.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Absolutely crucial for success in any field, really
.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
And he highlights the difficulty of building loyalty
and driving behavior in thedigital age.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Yeah, it's hard to cut through the noise and get
people to pay attention.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
And the need to jump the technology chasm quickly.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Right, you've got to adapt or get left behind.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
And he touches on the evolution of branding.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
How has branding changed over time?
Speaker 1 (10:21):
You know it used to focus on creative assets.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
But now it's more intangible elements like
customer experience and brandpurpose.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Right, it's not just about the logo and the tagline
anymore.
It's about the whole experience.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Exactly, and that leads to that complex web of
metrics we were talking aboutearlier.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Yeah, trying to measure all those different
aspects of the brand.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
And he uses this analogy of managing a brand
today is like a tough mudder.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Tough mudder like the obstacle course.
Yes, okay, I like that analogy.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
With digital being the next big obstacle.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
So it's challenging, but you got to push through it.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Yeah, you got to push through it.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
So what's the solution?
How do we navigate this newbranding landscape?
Speaker 1 (11:00):
He argues for a new playbook for branding in the
digital age.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Okay, A new playbook.
So we need to rethink ourapproach.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
And often the best story wins.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
The best story wins, so it's about crafting a
compelling narrative.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Yeah, and going back to that central challenge, how
do we make sense of all thedigital metrics?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Right, how do we filter out the noise and find
the signal?
Speaker 1 (11:21):
And pinpoint your brand's true value.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Yeah, what really matters.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
And he contrasts old push marketing with today's
focus on lifestyle integration.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Okay.
So it's not just about pushingyour message out there, it's
about becoming part of people'slives.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Right and how brands make consumers feel.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
So empathy is key.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Empathy is key and he points out that consumers
control brand visibility now.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Yeah, word of mouth, social media reviews.
It's all in the hands of theconsumer.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
And earning positive engagement is critical.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Right, you got to give him something to talk about
, something to share.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
And he sees branding as this intersection of design
and psychology.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Interesting.
So it's not just aboutaesthetics, it's about
understanding how people thinkand feel.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
And it's about hacking and hijacking hearts and
minds.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
There's that phrase again hacking and hijacking.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Yeah, it's about being disruptive, being
memorable.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Okay, I'm starting to get it.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
And he introduces this idea that humans are
feeling, machines that think.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Feeling machines that think so.
Our emotions drive ourdecisions.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Often they do.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Interesting.
So we're not as rational as wethink we are.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
And he defines brand as how the consumer remembers
you.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
How they remember you .
Speaker 1 (12:31):
And that's rooted in emotion.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
So it's not just about the product or service,
it's about the feeling theyassociate with it.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
And we tend to have a stronger recall of negative
feelings.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Oh, that's interesting.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
So the challenge for brands is to cultivate positive
association.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Right, make them feel good.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
And he highlights brands like SoulCycle and Airbnb
.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
That evoke this very specific central feeling.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
So they've really nailed down their emotional core
.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
And then you have those iconic brands like Disney,
Gatorade, Corona.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah, brands that everyone knows and loves.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
That have positive emotions embedded in their DNA.
Okay, and he reiterates thatthose five territories of
Levesque are key.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
To creating that emotional connection.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Yes, and he references Kahneman.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
The Nobel Prize winners in behavioral economics.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Yes, so grounding his framework in science.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
It's not just a hunch .
It's based on research.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
And he positions following the feeling as the
universal brand metric.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Following the feeling .
Speaker 1 (13:24):
And Levesque as that system for navigating digital
transformation.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
So it's a guide for building brands in this new
world.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Exactly, and he even talks about new tech that can
measure cognitive emotions inreal time.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Wow, so we can actually see how people are
feeling.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
And the book is this exploration of brand strategy,
design thinking, psychologicalprinciples.
Sounds fascinating, yeahstrategy, design thinking,
psychological principles Soundsfascinating?
Yeah, and he includes practicalcase studies.
Advice for revitalizing a brandwith emotion.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
So it's not just theory, it's actionable.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Yeah, and personal stories from his own journey.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Adding that personal touch.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
And he concludes by emphasizing the value of this
framework for brand survival.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Okay, so that was a really comprehensive overview of
the process and introduction.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
All right.
So those are the three thingsto know.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Three things to know.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
On to the three things to do.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Three things to do.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Number one start thinking about feelings.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Start thinking about feelings.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Ask yourself what feeling does your brand
currently trigger?
Speaker 2 (14:19):
So what's the emotional impact of my brand
right now?
And even more importantly, whatfeeling do you want it to evoke
?
Right?
So what feeling do I want tocultivate?
Speaker 1 (14:29):
This is about aligning your brand with those
deeper emotional drivers.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
It's about moving beyond just the functional
benefits and focusing on theemotional connection.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Number two familiarize yourself with
Levesque.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Levesque Okay.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Start assessing your brand across those five
territories.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Lexicon audiovisuals, experience and cultural
connections.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Okay, Start assessing your brand across those five
territories.
Lexicon audio visualsexperience and cultural
connections.
Right, so you know.
Lexicon, the language you use,okay, Audio cues, the sounds and
music, you're right.
Visuals, your design elementsGot it.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
The experience, the customer journey, okay, and
cultural connections Right, howyou tap into trends and values.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Identify where your brand is strong and where you
can improve.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
So it's a comprehensive brand audit.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
It is.
And number three, seekinspiration from others.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Seek inspiration.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
You know, pay attention to brands, large and
small, that connect with youemotionally.
Okay, analyze how they useLevesque.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
So look at how they're using language, visuals,
customer experience to createthat feeling.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Learn from what connects with you and others.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Right.
See what's working for them andsee if you can apply those
principles to your own brand.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
All right, so those are the three things to do.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Three things to do check.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Now the three things to share.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Three things to share .
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Number one the power of timing in business.
The power of timing.
You know that research fromBill Gross, Right.
Share that surprisingrevelation.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
That timing was the most important factor for
startup success.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Even more than the idea or the team.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
It's a game changer.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
It is, and this is great to talk about with
colleagues, friends, anyone inbusiness.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Yeah, it really challenges our assumptions about
what drives success.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Number two, the idea of feeling machines.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Fearing machines.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Okay, you know share that concept that humans are
driven by emotions.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Right, we're not always as logical as we think we
are.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
And how that impacts marketing and branding.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
So how do we use this knowledge to connect with our
audience on a deeper level?
Speaker 1 (16:19):
And the third thing to share.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
OK, what's the last one?
Speaker 1 (16:21):
The upcoming workbook .
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Oh, yes, the workbook .
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Kai's releasing it this summer.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
So a practical guide to applying these concepts.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Hands-on exercises tools to help you implement
Levesque.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Awesome.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Something to look forward to.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
So we've got the book and now the workbook to really
dive deep.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
So, to sum up, yes.
This has been a look at thepreface and intro of Follow the
Feeling.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
By Kai D Wright.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
The message is clear emotions are vital for building
strong brands.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Especially in today's digital world.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Think about Wright's perspectives on timing and the
balance between data and humanconnection.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
It's about finding that sweet spot between the
analytical and the emotional.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
And for creative inspiration, check out the Brand
Builder Lab podcast and followKai on LinkedIn.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Yeah, great resources .
Speaker 1 (17:07):
And a final thought.
Okay, hit me with it.
In a world driven by data andtech, how can prioritizing
emotional connection be yourbrand's competitive advantage?
Speaker 2 (17:16):
That's a great question, something for all of
us to ponder.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Thanks for tuning in.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
It's been a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
We'll catch you next time.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
See ya.
So we're going to be looking at this book like it's a
backstage pass.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
We're going to be going behind the scenes of
follow the feeling brandbuilding in a noisy world.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I like that backstage pass idea.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Yeah, just really trying to snag the insights and
get them to you.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Think like we're your book ninjas.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Insight ninjas.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Yeah, insight ninjas.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
And we're going to be hitting you with our signature,
three by three recap.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Three by three.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
If you've never caught one of these recaps
before.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah, for our new listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
We're going to be giving you three things to know,
three things to do and threethings to share.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I like it.
I like that format.
It keeps it nice and simple.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Yeah, it keeps it really punchy, so educational
and easy to follow.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Easy to follow.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
So our mission today is to give a quick and concise
overview of Follow the Feelingby Kai D Wright.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Kai D Wright Follow the Feeling Excellent.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
All right, so let's jump into this thing.
First up, three things to know.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Three things to know.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Number one early entrepreneurial roots.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Love it.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
So back when Kai was in fourth grade, he had a
business.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Oh wow, fourth grade, that's impressive.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
It was a nonprofit recycling phone book.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Recycling phone books .
Ok, that's interesting.
So even back then he was tryingto solve a problem.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Yeah, super young and thinking that way.
That entrepreneurial spiritalready brewing Right, and then
fast forward a few years he is12.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
OK.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
And he has his grass cutting business.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
The classic.
Classic, yeah, and he's cuttingthat St Augustine grass down in
Florida.
Oh yeah, I've heard about thatstuff.
It's tough.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
It is tough stuff and he had to work with all the
constraints of family time.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Right.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
And school and get this For six years.
He was essentially doing CRMbefore CRM was even a thing.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Wow, six years, that's a long time.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
I know it's a long time really learning customer
relationship management righthow to get new customers, how to
keep those customers happy yeah, customer acquisition, customer
loyalty yeah, and he said helearned a lot about how to make
businesses work or not makessense.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
So six years of practical experience there, all
right.
So what's our second thing toknow?
Speaker 1 (02:00):
second thing to know is the primacy of timing.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Primacy of timing.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Okay so this is really interesting.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
I'm intrigued.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
He references Bill Gross, who's the founder of
Idealab.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Okay, yeah, I know Idealab.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
You know Idealab.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, they've been behind some big companies.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Huge companies Airbnb , Instagram, Uber, YouTube,
LinkedIn.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Huge yeah.
And he looked at all thesestartups and the factors that
led to their success.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Okay, interesting.
So what did he find?
So he looked at timing, theteam, the idea, the business
model and funding.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Pretty comprehensive list.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yeah, the findings were pretty surprising.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
So what was the most important factor?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Timing.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Timing really more than the team or the idea.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Even more than the team or the idea.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Wow, that's fascinating.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
And he also drops this knowledge bomb.
Only half of Fortune 500companies survive.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
What only half.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Over time only half.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Oh wow, that really makes you think about the
importance of timing.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah, that's huge right.
Like these are massiveestablished companies.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Right, exactly, and they're still vulnerable.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Still vulnerable.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
So really puts it into perspective.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
It does Okay.
So we've got entrepreneurialroots, We've got timing.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
What's our third thing to know?
Our third thing to know is theshift in the business landscape.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Okay, so how has the business landscape changed?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
So he contrasts the business world that he grew up
in.
He calls himself an eldermillennial.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
But a digital native, Okay, and how different it is
today from you know the businessworld of the past.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Right, Like how is it different?
Speaker 1 (03:34):
It's so social now, data-driven, experiential
content-driven and digitallyenabled.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
It's like a whole new world.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Whole new world and every new platform, new piece of
tech, every service.
We're just drowning in data.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Drowning in data?
Yeah, I feel that.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
You feel?
Speaker 2 (03:51):
that Absolutely.
We're constantly bombarded withinformation.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
And even experienced leaders can get totally lost in
it.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Makes sense.
It's overwhelming.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
It's overwhelming, and it's this tension between
you know, having tons of dataand finding meaningful insights.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Right, it's not just about the quantity of data, it's
about what you do with it.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Exactly, and it's interesting, he even talks about
his own personal struggle withthat.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
So how does he deal with this data overload?
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Well, he calls it his time management issue Time
management issue.
Okay, but it's really thisbalancing act of constantly
learning and doing?
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Oh, I see, yeah, trying to stay ahead of the
curve while still getting thingsdone.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Right, and that's what led him to be a scholar
practitioner.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Scholar practitioner, so both teaching and advising.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Exactly, and you know he really sees the value in
bridging that gap between theoryand real world.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, that's a valuable perspective.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
It is.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
So he's teaching at Columbia and advising businesses
.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yes, exactly, and by the time he was on the Forbes 30
under 30 list.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Okay, impressive.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
He had five dream jobs.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Five dream jobs.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Wow, he's not wasting any time.
Right, he was advising on hugebrand and marketing campaigns.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So at a young age he was already working with major
companies.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Working with celebrities, shaping personal
brands for top execs influencers.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
He was really immersed in the branding world.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Yeah, and through all of that he saw these five core
parts of any brand.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Interesting, so those experiences really informed his
understanding of branding.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Yes, and he also brings in his background in
economics from UChicago.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
And he was a science fair enthusiast.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Oh wow, so he's got this analytical side to him as
well.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Yeah, and he connects it all to pattern recognition
and how important that is forstrategy.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
That makes sense, seeing those trends and
understanding what they mean.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
And you know, professionally, he's always
focused on how companies can usedigital to connect with
audiences.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Right, because that's the landscape.
Now Everyone's online.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Right no-transcript.
They're making ourrelationships feel colder.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Interesting.
So in this age ofhyper-connectivity, we're
actually feeling moredisconnected.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Sometimes it feels that way.
Yeah, I could see that, andacademically he's interested in
behavioral economics 12-year-oldeconomics Okay.
And he studied under GaryBecker, a Nobel laureate.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Wow, so he's got some serious academic credentials.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Yeah, and you know that's really shaped his
thinking how people behave, whatmotivates them.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Right, because ultimately, branding is about
understanding people.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Exactly so.
How does all of this cometogether in the book?
So he analyzed 1,500 companies1,500 companies.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Wow, that's a lot of data.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
To identify those five parts of a brand.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
And 100 anomaly companies.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Anomaly companies.
What are those?
Speaker 1 (06:37):
These are companies that defied the typical patterns
.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Oh, so they were doing something different,
something unique.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yeah, they had exceptional brand resonance.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Interesting, so he's looking at what sets these
companies apart.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Right, and that's what informed the core framework
of the book.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Makes sense.
So what is this frameworkSelect?
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Okay, Lexicon triggers audio cues, visual
stimuli, experience and culturalconnections.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Okay, so it's like a holistic approach to branding.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
It is and it's all about finding your brand's true
North Star.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
True North Star.
And like that and hacking andhijacking culture.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Hacking and hijacking culture.
Okay, that sounds a little bitedgy.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
It's about being disruptive.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I see.
So it's about finding thatsweet spot between authenticity
and cultural relevance.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Exactly and he has this global perspective.
You know he lived in Germany aspart of a military family,
traveled extensively and heemphasizes that these five brand
areas are universal.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
That's interesting, so it's not just limited to one
specific culture or region.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
It's a global framework.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
All right, so let's talk a little bit more about Kai
himself.
Yeah, what's his background?
Speaker 2 (07:38):
So Kai D Wright is a strategy advisor.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
For senior execs.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Lecturer at Columbia.
Impressive Global consultingpartner at Ogilvy.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Wow, he's got a pretty impressive resume.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Yeah, he's been recognized by Forbes and Adweek.
Yeah, he's been recognized byForbes and Adweek.
Okay Worked with Bank ofAmerica HP.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Big names, spent a decade at Columbia as a student
and as an instructor.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Okay, so he's really familiar with both the academic
and the business world.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Yeah, and his focus is on influence and persuasion.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Makes sense for someone working in branding.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
And he calls himself an intellectual misfit.
Intellectual misfit, that's aninteresting way to describe
himself, yeah, shaped by hisupbringing and his diverse
experiences.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
And he's really at the intersection of media tech
and culture.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
So he's got this unique perspective.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Yeah, and the book argues that the most important
expression of a brand is how itmakes people feel.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
How it makes people feel, so it's all about emotion.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
It is, and you know he argues that we are driven by
emotions.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Right, we're not always rational creatures.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
And that strategically leveraging
feelings through Levesque is acompetitive advantage.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
So it's not just about logic and reason, it's
about tapping into thoseemotional connections.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Exactly, and he has over 100 brand examples and
insights from behavioral science.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
So he's backing up his claims with real world
evidence.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Yeah, and he even talks about his own selfish
career goal.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Selfish career goal.
What's that?
Speaker 1 (09:01):
He always wanted to be constantly learning.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
OK, so always seeking out new knowledge and
experiences.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Yeah, through short term roles, starting with his
first position at Ogilvy, andthen five dream roles in 10
years.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Now, that's a lot of movement.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
He intentionally sought out those different
experiences.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
So he's a big believer in continuous learning
and growth.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Yeah, and he encountered so many questions
from leaders.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Like what kind of questions?
Speaker 1 (09:25):
How large companies can learn from startups.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Okay, yeah, that's a common one.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
How brands can stay relevant.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Especially in today's noisy world.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Right how to navigate this digital revolution and
what are the new rules ofbranding?
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Yeah, the game has changed, for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
And he mentions Emily Wapnick's three traits for
disruptors.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Oh yeah, I've heard of her.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
What are?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
those traits Adaptability, synthesizing
information and patternrecognition.
So basically being able toadjust, to change, make sense of
data and spot trends.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Exactly, and those are super relevant today.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Absolutely crucial for success in any field, really
.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
And he highlights the difficulty of building loyalty
and driving behavior in thedigital age.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Yeah, it's hard to cut through the noise and get
people to pay attention.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
And the need to jump the technology chasm quickly.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Right, you've got to adapt or get left behind.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
And he touches on the evolution of branding.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
How has branding changed over time?
Speaker 1 (10:21):
You know it used to focus on creative assets.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
But now it's more intangible elements like
customer experience and brandpurpose.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Right, it's not just about the logo and the tagline
anymore.
It's about the whole experience.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Exactly, and that leads to that complex web of
metrics we were talking aboutearlier.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Yeah, trying to measure all those different
aspects of the brand.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
And he uses this analogy of managing a brand
today is like a tough mudder.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Tough mudder like the obstacle course.
Yes, okay, I like that analogy.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
With digital being the next big obstacle.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
So it's challenging, but you got to push through it.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Yeah, you got to push through it.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
So what's the solution?
How do we navigate this newbranding landscape?
Speaker 1 (11:00):
He argues for a new playbook for branding in the
digital age.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Okay, A new playbook.
So we need to rethink ourapproach.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
And often the best story wins.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
The best story wins, so it's about crafting a
compelling narrative.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Yeah, and going back to that central challenge, how
do we make sense of all thedigital metrics?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Right, how do we filter out the noise and find
the signal?
Speaker 1 (11:21):
And pinpoint your brand's true value.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Yeah, what really matters.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
And he contrasts old push marketing with today's
focus on lifestyle integration.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Okay.
So it's not just about pushingyour message out there, it's
about becoming part of people'slives.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Right and how brands make consumers feel.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
So empathy is key.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Empathy is key and he points out that consumers
control brand visibility now.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Yeah, word of mouth, social media reviews.
It's all in the hands of theconsumer.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
And earning positive engagement is critical.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Right, you got to give him something to talk about
, something to share.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
And he sees branding as this intersection of design
and psychology.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Interesting.
So it's not just aboutaesthetics, it's about
understanding how people thinkand feel.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
And it's about hacking and hijacking hearts and
minds.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
There's that phrase again hacking and hijacking.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Yeah, it's about being disruptive, being
memorable.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Okay, I'm starting to get it.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
And he introduces this idea that humans are
feeling, machines that think.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Feeling machines that think so.
Our emotions drive ourdecisions.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Often they do.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Interesting.
So we're not as rational as wethink we are.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
And he defines brand as how the consumer remembers
you.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
How they remember you .
Speaker 1 (12:31):
And that's rooted in emotion.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
So it's not just about the product or service,
it's about the feeling theyassociate with it.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
And we tend to have a stronger recall of negative
feelings.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Oh, that's interesting.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
So the challenge for brands is to cultivate positive
association.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Right, make them feel good.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
And he highlights brands like SoulCycle and Airbnb
.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
That evoke this very specific central feeling.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
So they've really nailed down their emotional core
.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
And then you have those iconic brands like Disney,
Gatorade, Corona.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah, brands that everyone knows and loves.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
That have positive emotions embedded in their DNA.
Okay, and he reiterates thatthose five territories of
Levesque are key.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
To creating that emotional connection.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Yes, and he references Kahneman.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
The Nobel Prize winners in behavioral economics.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Yes, so grounding his framework in science.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
It's not just a hunch .
It's based on research.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
And he positions following the feeling as the
universal brand metric.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Following the feeling .
Speaker 1 (13:24):
And Levesque as that system for navigating digital
transformation.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
So it's a guide for building brands in this new
world.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Exactly, and he even talks about new tech that can
measure cognitive emotions inreal time.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Wow, so we can actually see how people are
feeling.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
And the book is this exploration of brand strategy,
design thinking, psychologicalprinciples.
Sounds fascinating, yeahstrategy, design thinking,
psychological principles Soundsfascinating?
Yeah, and he includes practicalcase studies.
Advice for revitalizing a brandwith emotion.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
So it's not just theory, it's actionable.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Yeah, and personal stories from his own journey.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Adding that personal touch.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
And he concludes by emphasizing the value of this
framework for brand survival.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Okay, so that was a really comprehensive overview of
the process and introduction.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
All right.
So those are the three thingsto know.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Three things to know.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
On to the three things to do.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Three things to do.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Number one start thinking about feelings.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Start thinking about feelings.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Ask yourself what feeling does your brand
currently trigger?
Speaker 2 (14:19):
So what's the emotional impact of my brand
right now?
And even more importantly, whatfeeling do you want it to evoke
?
Right?
So what feeling do I want tocultivate?
Speaker 1 (14:29):
This is about aligning your brand with those
deeper emotional drivers.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
It's about moving beyond just the functional
benefits and focusing on theemotional connection.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Number two familiarize yourself with
Levesque.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Levesque Okay.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Start assessing your brand across those five
territories.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Lexicon audiovisuals, experience and cultural
connections.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Okay, Start assessing your brand across those five
territories.
Lexicon audio visualsexperience and cultural
connections.
Right, so you know.
Lexicon, the language you use,okay, Audio cues, the sounds and
music, you're right.
Visuals, your design elementsGot it.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
The experience, the customer journey, okay, and
cultural connections Right, howyou tap into trends and values.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Identify where your brand is strong and where you
can improve.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
So it's a comprehensive brand audit.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
It is.
And number three, seekinspiration from others.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Seek inspiration.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
You know, pay attention to brands, large and
small, that connect with youemotionally.
Okay, analyze how they useLevesque.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
So look at how they're using language, visuals,
customer experience to createthat feeling.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Learn from what connects with you and others.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Right.
See what's working for them andsee if you can apply those
principles to your own brand.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
All right, so those are the three things to do.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Three things to do check.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Now the three things to share.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Three things to share .
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Number one the power of timing in business.
The power of timing.
You know that research fromBill Gross, Right.
Share that surprisingrevelation.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
That timing was the most important factor for
startup success.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Even more than the idea or the team.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
It's a game changer.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
It is, and this is great to talk about with
colleagues, friends, anyone inbusiness.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Yeah, it really challenges our assumptions about
what drives success.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Number two, the idea of feeling machines.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Fearing machines.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Okay, you know share that concept that humans are
driven by emotions.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Right, we're not always as logical as we think we
are.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
And how that impacts marketing and branding.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
So how do we use this knowledge to connect with our
audience on a deeper level?
Speaker 1 (16:19):
And the third thing to share.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
OK, what's the last one?
Speaker 1 (16:21):
The upcoming workbook .
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Oh, yes, the workbook .
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Kai's releasing it this summer.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
So a practical guide to applying these concepts.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Hands-on exercises tools to help you implement
Levesque.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Awesome.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Something to look forward to.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
So we've got the book and now the workbook to really
dive deep.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
So, to sum up, yes.
This has been a look at thepreface and intro of Follow the
Feeling.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
By Kai D Wright.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
The message is clear emotions are vital for building
strong brands.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Especially in today's digital world.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Think about Wright's perspectives on timing and the
balance between data and humanconnection.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
It's about finding that sweet spot between the
analytical and the emotional.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
And for creative inspiration, check out the Brand
Builder Lab podcast and followKai on LinkedIn.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Yeah, great resources .
Speaker 1 (17:07):
And a final thought.
Okay, hit me with it.
In a world driven by data andtech, how can prioritizing
emotional connection be yourbrand's competitive advantage?
Speaker 2 (17:16):
That's a great question, something for all of
us to ponder.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Thanks for tuning in.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
It's been a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
We'll catch you next time.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
See ya.
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