Latest news with #emotionalresonance
Fast Company
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
There's a formula to loyalty—super-fandoms have mastered it
Building super-fandom isn't an art, it's a science with a proven formula that brands can learn and replicate. The most successful fandoms, like Taylor Swift's Swifties, follow predictable patterns centered around building strong emotional architecture around a shared idea to generate a sense of belonging. Mastering this formula is integral for brands seeking lasting loyalty as it's the only reliable path to transforming casual consumers into passionate advocates who drive real business impact. The fandom formula Fandoms operate on four fundamental principles: 1. Emotional resonance comes first. Swifties don't just like Taylor Swift's music because it sounds good; they see their own stories reflected in her lyrics. Every album becomes a shared emotional journey, not just a collection of songs. Because they see themselves and their values reflected in this artist, they are invested in her success, ensuring each album release goes No. 1 on the charts. 2. Shared rituals and language create insider status. It's an unspoken code among Marvel fans that you stick around for the post-credit scenes of every single movie. Fandoms develop their own vocabularies, traditions, and ways of belonging that make outsiders want in. 3. A sense of belonging transforms individual consumers into collective identities. There are whole online and in-person communities dedicated to being a member of Beyoncé's Beyhive. They travel to concerts together, buy music and merchandise together, and every other brand avenue released by Queen Bey. 4. Active participation and co-creation turns audiences into collaborators. Fandoms thrive because fans don't just consume. They remix, theorize, create fan art, write fanfiction, and build upon the original work, offering another opportunity for direct fan-to-artist connection. The future is fandom-driven brands Most brands approach loyalty like a math problem. Spend $100, get 10 points. Visit five times, get a free coffee. Instead of a transactional approach to building brand loyalty, consider deploying the following: Build emotional anchors in the brand experience: Every brand interaction is an opportunity to create lasting emotional connections beyond the initial point of sale. Red Bull exemplifies this approach by translating the energy and thrill customers experience from their drink into a lifestyle ecosystem. Through immersive experiences like virtual reality alpine climbing and extreme sports activations, Red Bull offers energy and the feeling of limitless possibility for their community of thrill-seekers. Foster community, not an audience: The distinction between audiences and communities determines whether customers become advocates. Audiences consume, but communities create, connect, and discover together. Celebrities have become especially adept at leveraging fandom to create dedicated brand communities. Take Hailey Bieber's recent success with cult beauty brand Rhode. From exclusive pop-up events and viral TikTok videos, Rhode created virtual and physical spaces where beauty enthusiasts could experiment and bond over their collective obsession. In turn, Rhode built a movement around beauty that turned skincare routines into shared experiences and enough cultural cache to drive a $1 billion valuation in just three years, leading to its acquisition by e.l.f. Beauty. Make fans a part of the experience: Fandoms cultivate active participants and collaborators. Netflix's upcoming 'Netflix Houses' represent this principle at scale, transforming viewers into main characters of their favorite Netflix series. One second they're a contestant of Squid Game and the next they're wandering through Stranger Things' Hawkins to solve the latest mystery. Netflix repurposed dying mall space to create these immersive experiences, curating a new way for younger generations to experience malls and TV shows. A win for Netflix, the teens, and the malls. The most successful companies of the next decade won't just have customers, they'll have believers, which they'll build by making people feel something profound. Behind every transaction is a human being seeking connection, meaning, and belonging. In a world where fandoms power industries, the only thing standing between brands and that devotion is the courage to design experiences that honor this fundamental truth.
Times of Oman
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times of Oman
Meet Cardinal, colour of the year 2025
Asian Paints Berger, the recipient of Oman's Most Trusted Brand award, announced 'Cardinal' as its Colour of the Year during ColourNext 2025 event held at the St Regis Al Mouj. The event served as a celebration of colour, culture, and creativity, drawing design luminaries from across Oman, Bahrain, and the UAE. Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sayyida Basma Al Said, the evening was attended by Joseph Eapen, Chief Executive of Asian Paints International, and G. Gopalakrishnan, General Manager of Asian Paints Berger Oman. The gathering brought together a vibrant community of architects, designers, and thought leaders for a first look at the ideas shaping the future of design in the region. The centerpiece of the evening was the reveal of Cardinal, a rich and dusky hue that speaks to the growing importance of emotional resonance in design. Complementing this announcement, Asian Paints also unveiled three influential design directions for 2025, each shaped by insights from the company's extensive trend forecasting initiative, ColourNext. Now in its third decade, ColourNext continues to lead the way in translating global cultural shifts into actionable design themes, using the lenses of colour, texture, material, and mood. The first of these design directions, 'Bad Taste?', is a bold commentary on traditional design norms. It challenges traditional ideas of beauty and balance by embracing things that feel awkward on purpose, are overly decorative, or express raw emotions. The centerpiece of this corner was the 'Prince', a colourful sculpture by famous Omani artist Hassan Meer. The second trend, 'Salt', draws inspiration from one of the world's most essential and symbolic minerals. Salt is ever-present—quiet yet indispensable—and its metaphoric richness serves as a foundation for this minimalist yet profound design approach. The third trend, 'Feel More', champions design that not only pleases the eye but also nurtures the soul. This trend encourages the creation of sensory-rich environments and spaces that embrace softness, warmth, and emotional complexity. Through gentle materials, layered lighting, and subtle detail, Feel More cultivates environments that support vulnerability, reflection, and deep emotional connection. Reflecting on the event and the larger vision behind it, Joseph Eapen, CEO of Asian Paints International, said: 'At Asian Paints, we believe innovation must resonate beyond functionality—it must connect emotionally and culturally. Our mission is to inspire living spaces that are not only beautiful but meaningful, and ColourNext is our platform to lead that conversation.' With the unveiling of Cardinal and the powerful narratives behind this year's trends, Asian Paints once again affirms its position at the forefront of design thinking in the region. It continues to push boundaries and ignite inspiration—crafting homes, spaces, and experiences that are vibrant, human, and deeply relevant to the times we live in.
