What do I like about brands?

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Fundamental Brand Narratives and stories are the most important element of any brand's brand equity: people don't want to be annoyed with clichés and empty calls to action; they want to hear and see short, yet interesting (perhaps even new) insights and perspectives on their lives. 

 

If I allow a brand into my life, it should make me feel like that they share or inspire my attitude about life and, even if in a small, inconspicuous role, somehow "move me forward." After all, I want to be a better version of myself tomorrow. A brand has to understand my personal narrative; it has to help me expand my possibilities.

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What is my Role at Mushrooms Branding?

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I identify people's inner emotional conflicts that fuel their perceptions and motivations, and I identify and dissect pain and pleasure receptors that influence mindset and behavior. ​ 

 

This allows me to create new—or sharpen existing—brand narratives that influence people's perceptions of life, connecting people and brands emotionally rather than simply presenting a short, superficial (but expensive) media experience that is forgotten as quickly as it appeared on target audience's mobile screens. ​

 

A mutually inspiring, elevating and emotionally balancing syncing of people's personal narratives ("the story that defines me, tells me who I am and who I want to be") and the respective brand narrative is  what I pursue with every project. ​

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What are my Professional Tools?

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I ran a marketing insights and brand communications agency in Shanghai for 25 years, until very recently. We were one of the preferred partners for dozens of global brands operating in the very challenging Chinese market, from Coca-Cola to Unilever. Those years and the invaluable wealth of experiences in insights and brand communication psychology honed my skills in motivating highly dynamic, fickle and volatile target audiences, thus building strong brand equity for my clients.

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With an early specialization in perception and communication psychology in the field of consumer behavior, perception and branding, I worked for many years closely with Harvard Business School's Mind of the Market Lab in the field of cognitive metaphors. My agency then adapted techniques from narrative psychology, which we use to effectively decode people's sense of identity, motivations, and perceptions—and then apply them to craft influential brand narratives.

 

Exploring people through their —constantly evolving—personal narratives which fuel emotions, perceptions, traumas and wounds, desires and needs, and even behavior, has defined my career as one of the most successful insights and brand communication specialists in China and other markets. My online "Brand and Consumer Masterclass" is often recommended by marketing and branding specialists as one of the most interesting, concise introductions to creating effective brand narratives.

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As an award-winning creator of documentaries, short narrative films and music videos as well as a branded entertainment content, I apply my creative skills to render sensory and emotional worlds visible and viscerally palpable to target groups and clients.

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Why is Patricia von Papstein my Partner of Choice?

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I work with Patricia von Papstein in creative, constructive, and mutually complementary ways. I value Patricia's gift and courage to use insights so as to open up new and accessible directions for our brand clients, to create and worlds that people desire. Only then can brands become sustainable in today's world, and even develop loyal fans.

 

Neither of us has patience for clichés, unimaginative superficialities or "copycat" content that passes people by without leaving any emotional trace (which we see so often these days). We bring diverse and complementary experiences, knowledge, and tools to our unique partnership.