The Emotion Recession
We live in a world overflowing with brands. They reach us with uncanny timing, land in our feeds with polished precision, speak to us in data-informed tones that feel…almost human.
And yet, something’s missing.
These brands reach us. But they do not move us.
They find us. But they fail to touch us.
They speak. But they do not stir.
This is not a failure of marketing tactics. It’s a failure of meaning.
And it has ushered in what can only be called an Emotion Recession.
Not because money is scarce. But because emotion is.
Not because we lack tools. But because we’ve misplaced the heart.
In pursuit of efficiency, we have sacrificed empathy.
In pursuit of scale, we have abandoned soul.
We have turned marketing into math. We’ve swapped friction for flow, story for sequence, personality for personalization. And what have we gained? Speed, yes. Reach, certainly. But at what cost?
The joy has drained out, and the result is clear: brands that operate, but do not inspire. Products that function, but do not endure. Customers who buy once, and never return.
A brand does not die when revenue dips. It dies when no one cares. And today, far too many brands are quietly bleeding out—not in dollars, but in feeling.
Still, leaders cling to optimization as strategy.
They automate, streamline, accelerate.
But they forget: people do not remember velocity.
They remember how you made them feel.
And yet—there are exceptions.
Some companies are choosing a different path.
- Atlassian leads with openness in a category that often defaults to control.
- HashiCorp has turned DevOps into a platform that fosters community and loyalty.
- Gusto brings a sense of humanity to a space that typically feels transactional.
- SurveyMonkey maintains a voice that is direct, approachable, and unmistakably human—even in the enterprise space.
These brands aren’t chasing emotion for its own sake. They use it to create relevance. To build trust. To ensure what they offer doesn’t just function—but matters.
They recognize that emotion isn’t the opposite of efficiency. It’s what gives efficiency purpose. It’s what turns a useful product into a memorable experience. A one-time buyer into a long-term believer.
And in a time when so many brands are fading into the background, that kind of resonance is what sets them apart.
So here’s the choice.
You can keep optimizing until your brand is invisible—perfectly efficient, and perfectly forgettable. Or you can choose to reinvest—boldly, intentionally, unapologetically—in the one thing that will outlast every product, every platform, every algorithm:
Emotion.
Efficiency might keep your business breathing.
But emotion is the only reason anyone will care that it’s alive.
