Inside Innovation

Tool: A Think Tank for Feelings

Marc Gobé, author of the 2001 book Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People, has championed his ideas through books and consulting. Now he’s starting a think tank, Emotional Branding, to explore how branding and communications affect emotions, especially those of younger consumers. Via a blog and online videos, Gobé and a three-person team—as well as invited contributors—will examine such issues as the backlash against visual pollution and how Brazilians have responded to São Paulo’s total ban on outdoor ads; the influence of Los Angeles graffiti artists on consumer behavior; and how branding may be redefined in new “green” cities that are being built near Shanghai and in Abu Dhabi.