Who is playing? ⋅ EV #009

“Imagine, in a few years, you are throwing a huge party to celebrate the company’s anniversary. You invite all your existing customers and users, all your partners and funders. You also invite a music artist to perform at the party opening. An artist whose craft is a manifestation of your brand vibes. Who is playing?”

I use this question in my brand personality survey to dig deeper into the brand feel & vibe beyond everyone's favorites “innovative”, “trustworthy” or “open”. Overused attributes like these you can hear right away by simply asking “How would you like your ideal audience to see your brand? Give me three adjectives.”

Asking about music brings you levels deeper, because music makes you feel more vividly than words. Rhythm and genre make you “feel” shapes and lights, the space and its patterns. Sometimes even colors.

Imagine:

• Iconic jazz which makes any non-jazz person hear elegance and grace. A bit of visual distortion with smooth corners.
• Or ABBA. Sounds of the sunshine. How can the echo of joy and celebration look on screen and paper?
• Or… Kraftwerk! Geometric patterns, very ordered chaos, high contrast.

If you are hosting a side event or internal team gathering next week in Berlin or any time soon elsewhere, ask yourself today: Who would you invite to perform at your company side event? What music would you play in the background to amplify the brand vibes?

Then, ask your co-founder or teammate who they would invite. You will be surprised by their choices. Ask why they chose these artists. You will be surprised (and delighted!) by their reasoning.

Spend the weekend listening to these artists.

Yours truly,
Ira