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and I () spent the past weekend in Austin attending the Brand Innovators Marketing Summit at SXSW. At this event, brand leaders from established global companies and fast-growing challengers shared insights and strategies. The event was packed with inspiring conversations, delicious BBQ, and plenty of queso, and the energy was contagious as marketers connected, networked, and learned from one another.

One powerful theme emerged throughout the summit: connecting with consumers has never been more important. Whether through:

• Emotional storytelling that resonates on a deeper level.

• Authenticity that builds trust and loyalty.

• Experience marketing that leaves a lasting impression.

• Community-building that fosters meaningful relationships.

• Data-driven insights that inform smarter decisions and drive impact.

The key takeaway? Brands that successfully create emotional connections are the ones winning attention, loyalty, and long-term brand love.

But here’s the challenge: If marketers and media professionals agree that these are the most important strategies, why are so many of us still stuck in the status quo, relying on vanity metrics like impressions and clicks instead of focusing on outcomes that drive real impact?

This weekend reinforced that I’m in the right place representing . Hearing these conversations reminded me just how powerful it is when brands truly understand the emotions that drive their consumers. Reticle’s ability to identify and activate those emotional triggers feels more relevant than ever. It helps brands connect authentically, boost engagement, and inspire purchase consideration, all while building lasting brand love.

And when well-known, successful brands like PaneraBrands, AG1, Portillo’s, Poppi, KFC, Kia, Liquid Death, Dell Technologies, e.l.f. Beauty, AT&T, and Kraft Heinz are putting these principles into practice, isn’t it time we all started paying attention and broke free from the status quo?

It's time to challenge ourselves to move beyond surface-level metrics and embrace strategies that genuinely connect with consumers and drive meaningful business outcomes. I left Austin feeling energized, motivated, and more confident than ever that focusing on emotional resonance is the key to unlocking true marketing success.

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