17-07-2025
Great brands don't just sell—they connect
Marketers have long understood that building emotional connections and strong relationships with customers starts with great storytelling. Today's most compelling brands don't just meet consumer needs, they tap into the deeper desires behind every transaction, crafting narratives that resonate beyond the point of sale.
Fast Company and window and door manufacturer Pella hosted a panel of marketing leaders during the recent Most Innovative Companies Summit to explore the secrets behind building enduring brand trust. These experts revealed what it takes to create a brand that captures attention and earns loyalty. Here are three insights from the conversation. (Some comments have been edited for length and clarity; scroll to the bottom to watch the entire panel discussion.)
1. Connect to consumers' core human emotions.
Many brands promote products that are highly functional. But leading with functionality is a good way to lose an audience from the get go, said Pella CMO Keith Mann. 'If we're constantly peppering the market with very functional product-specific messages, we lose an entire audience that isn't ready to engage in that mental construct yet,' he said. 'If we can connect our product to more core human emotions, desires, problems to solve, we can seed awareness and ultimately preference.'
For Mann and his team, that emotional hook is trust. 'When you really think about it,' he added, 'we produce a product that facilitates the interaction between you and nature in one of the most personal environments, which is your home.'
One recent ad campaign features a nine-year-old girl confidently dancing through her house to a Missy Elliott song as the outside weather grows ominous. The narrative nature of the ad breaks with traditionally staid window campaigns of the past. Mann said it touches on an important core belief: 'When you're at your home, you want to feel safe; you want to feel comfortable; you want the most precious things in your lives—your family—to be in a place that you know is protected.'
2. Connect early, connect often.
Building emotional connection and loyalty to a product often means inviting customers in on the ground floor. When building Epic Universe, a theme park at Universal Orlando that opened in May, the company initiated a conversation with its biggest fans to understand how to enhance their experience.
'We wanted people to trust that they're making good decisions with their vacation time and that they'll be able to connect to make memories that last a lifetime,' said Alice Norsworthy, president of global marketing for Universal Destinations and Experiences.
The message Norsworthy said she and her team heard repeatedly: 'Give us more immersive storytelling.'In addition to adrenaline-fueled rides, designers made sure fans could interact closely with their environments, whether getting up close and personal with a dragon or using a Power-Up Band to collect keys and explore Super Nintendo World.
Before the park opened, Norsworthy's targeted fan communities of the films and products they were launching, releasing long-form content showcasing the park's development and giving fans early buy in. 'They were able to take a peek behind the scenes to understand all the care and attention that we gave to bringing their favorite properties to life,' she said.
3. Use AI to enhance the customer experience.
Strong storytelling may draw people into the marketing funnel, but the experience needs to follow through—especially when the customer journey involves complex decision-making.
At Universal, the company has developed an AI virtual concierge to help guests customize their experience. 'A vacation can be pretty complex, with all of the detail and the need to understand product experience,' Norsworthy said. This has enabled greater personalization for and deeper conversations with customers, helping them to streamline the planning process.
Customers at Pella also have to consider a lot of information to make informed decisions about the windows or doors for their home. 'Our IT department likes to tell me that we have up to eight octillion combinations for an individual window that we can build, which is terrifying,' Mann said.
Consequently, the company has turned to AI tools to help customers explore and choose windows confidently without having to make dozens of decisions on how to configure an individual window. 'We're spending a ton of time thinking through the right tools so it's not as daunting,' Mann said, adding that the effort is paying off. 'When someone gets to consideration, we've already won them as a brand.'
Watch the full panel:
