Want to build a great brand? Steal these secrets from Patagonia, Yeti, and Warby Parker

When digital advertising arrived decades ago, most businesses simply treated it as a replacement for analog: 30-second TV spots became 30-second pre-rolls. Print ads became banner ads. Junk mail became spam. This was a huge missed opportunity. Rather than connecting with consumers in a new way, brands just interrupted them with frivolous messages. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Companies like Patagonia, Warby Parker, Fender, and Yeti have used their messaging strategies to empower consumers—and they've gained brand ambassadors in the process. Author and expert Jeff Rosenblum argues that if companies want to build a lasting, impactful brand, they should take a page from these firms and establish a totally different relationship with their customers. Read his piece here. — Co.Design Editors   Want to build a great brand? Steal these secrets from Patagonia, Yeti, and Warby Parker Instead of using new techniques to create a great brand, most companies just adapt the shiny new tools to their stodgy old strategy.   READ MORE   This retired Boeing 747 gets a second life as a snazzy office A new development in downtown Seattle nods to its roots in aviation.   READ MORE   How a weird triangle between 3 highways was turned into a cutting-edge museum Meow Wolf Denver is like the architectural version of making sweet lemonade out of very, very bitter lemons. Developers and architects everywhere should save the recipe.   READ MORE   Houses in this Texas development pay just $1 a month in energy bills. Here’s how As extreme weather becomes more common, reliable heating and cooling may start coming from underground ‘geogrids.’   READ MORE   Why Lenny Kravitz got involved with toothpaste company Twice The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter ultimately wants to fund free dental care in under-resourced regions like the Bahamas.   READ MORE

The hidden masterpieces of the NYC subway Philip Ashforth Coppola has spent 40 years illustrating subway stations–and revealing their forgotten histories.   READ MORE       Enter the 2022 Innovation by Design Awards The 2022 Innovation by Design Awards honor the designers and businesses solving the most crucial problems of today and anticipating the pressing issues of tomorrow. The competition, now in its 11th year, features a range of blue-chip companies, emerging startups, and hungry young talents. It is one of the most sought-after design awards in the industry. There are 46 categories that capture every facet of design. Entries are judged on the key ingredients of innovation: functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural impact, and business impact. APPLY NOW

Help Support Our Journalism Join Fast Company Premium   If you don’t want to receive Compass anymore, unsubscribe here. If you were forwarded Compass and like it, subscribe here. View this newsletter online. 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor, New York, NY 10007-2195

Link