Why your brand’s vibe is your superpower

I’m standing in the middle of a crowded networking event, clutching a bad coffee, wishing I’d stayed home.

The room hums with chatter and business cards. I’m here to “grow my brand.” I’m also here to avoid looking like a lost puppy.

I used to believe branding was just about looking sharp. Logo, website, colors. That’s what everyone online said. Build a great look, and people will come. Right?

So I made sure my site was beautiful. My pitch was polished. My LinkedIn photo looked like I’d just won a Nobel Prize for “Most Professional Human.”

But something was off.

People smiled, nodded, and moved on. No one stuck around. My inbox was quieter than a library at midnight. I’d done the work, but where was the magic?

One night, after another “great networking opportunity” that felt like speed dating for introverts, I sat in my car and asked the question I’d been avoiding:

Why don’t people care? That’s when it hit me.

I was selling a costume, not a connection.

Brands aren’t built in Photoshop. They’re built in the messy middle — between what you say and how you make people feel.

People don’t remember your logo. They remember your energy. Your culture. Your vibe.

Think about it.

Ever walked into a party and felt instantly at home? Or, just as quickly, felt like you’d crashed a secret society that speaks only in inside jokes?

That’s culture. That’s the vibe.

I’d missed the point. I thought branding was about survival. Stand out. Look good. Win. But really, it’s about connection. People want to belong. They want to feel seen. They want to know you’re not just another business with a shiny sign.

The brands we love aren’t always the biggest, or the flashiest. They’re the ones that feel real. The ones that make us feel like we’re part of the story.

Suddenly, I saw all the places I’d gotten it wrong.

I was so busy trying to look impressive, I forgot to be myself. I forgot to show what I cared about. I forgot to let my weirdness show.

So I started small.

I shared stories, not slogans. I let my quirks show up in my writing. I stopped copying “what works” and started sharing what mattered to me. I cracked jokes that made me laugh, even if they made me look like a dork.

And people noticed.

They replied to my emails. They shared their own stories. Suddenly, I wasn’t just a brand. I was a person. And people like people more than they like brands.

Your vibe is your brand’s fingerprint. It’s the thing people feel when they meet you, read your words, or scroll your feed.

If your culture sucks, your branding sucks. No fancy logo can fix that.

So, what’s your vibe? What’s the feeling people get when they interact with you? Is it real? Is it you?

If not, maybe it’s time to take off the mask. You can’t fake a vibe. But you can build one that’s honest.

And that’s what people remember.

If you’ve ever felt like your brand is a costume, you’re not alone. I’ve been there. The good news? The real you is way more interesting.

So, what’s your vibe? Hit reply and tell me the weirdest thing about your brand. I’ll go first: I still use “password123” (don’t tell my IT guy).

Let’s get real.

And tomorrow we’ll see why you should do rapid prototyping.

See ya!
— shashank

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