Today, brand building and personal development share many similarities. People are becoming "brands" by communicating their values, lifestyle, expectations, and worldview through their social media platforms. What images, words, and attributes come to mind when we think of a particular person? It is the combination of all these elements that shapes a "personal brand," influencing how we interact with others in various contexts, from social perception to employability potential.
Similarly, a close phenomenon occurs with brands. To differentiate themselves and connect with their audiences, brands not only convey what they produce or offer but increasingly also express their beliefs, the causes they support, and the reasons they fight for. In this way, brands almost become "personified" entities that share their worldview.
In this world where brands and individuals blend, there are some challenges. From an individual perspective, there is a risk of truly becoming a personal "brand" where the attributes that define us not only shape but also confine us. If we become too confined by our brand, we might limit our exploration of new things and our right to change and evolve.
On the other hand, brands face the challenge of communicating their point of view in a personal manner, expressing their values and perspective on the world, while maintaining consistency in their actions. It is not just about declaring values but also living by them.
In a world where technology prevails, and information is just a click away, ironically, the value of human connection, whether in individuals or brands, is growing. Because ultimately, we know that everything is personal.
What led me to fall in love with the activity I engage in (market reaserch and cultural trends and how they impact consumption) is the possibility of exploring new worlds, categories, and segments every day.
Understanding why people want or don't want something, what they desire, what role a product or service can play in that, the role of culture, values, and context in creating value and aspirationalism... it's fascinating! Researching, observing trends, signals, and the future is something that never ends, it's always changing and constantly pushes you to broaden your perspective and your capacity to listen and understand more. Humans are truly complex and interesting!
The teachings and learnings I have experienced, in both directions ― from them and towards them - with my team: I constantly learn from them how adding different disciplines and perspectives always enriches an analysis. Towards the teams, I believe I consistently convey that methodological rigor is essential for research, but that there is always room for more contribution and that we should get involved and be passionate about the topics we investigate, delve as deeply as possible, also to go as far as possible and dare to think ahead to offer something beyond what the client asks for, and surprise them with something valuable.
How do I envision the future of my profession? I imagine an increasingly seamless methodological integration, where professionals from different disciplines are capable of working together to analyze large volumes of data in an increasingly "datafied" world.
This integration would allow us to identify emerging patterns while also detecting those social and cultural human insights that underlie and motivate human behavior, desires, and consumption. It would be a remix of teams with strong digital, humanistic, and business know-how, working together fluidly.
If I had to choose a guiding motto, it would be "In times of change, it matters more to ask better questions than to have all the answers”
That phrase is truly inspiring and guides me because I believe that there will always be professionals capable of providing correct answers, and today, technology can assist us in identifying patterns that aid decision-making. However, the capacity to question is distinctly human, and I believe it is our differentiating factor for understanding and creating. In my daily work, it helps me take a step back from a client's brief and try to assist them in delving deeper and often changing their initial question to one that is more useful for their business challenge.
In this sense, my commitment is to remain connected with what is new and interesting (from attending to the SXSW Innovation Festival in Austin, to interviewing leading-edge consumers in Latam) to stay open-minded, and to continue evolving at the pace of the new questions arising from consumers and businesses.
Because at the end of the day, I truly believe in the human power of committing our passion and our focus, to bring ourselves to the table, every time, in every projetso we can create the future we want to live in.