Leading Emotional Branding Experts

I help leaders turn brand into their most powerful lever for growth. For more than three decades, I’ve operated at the intersection of strategy and competition, guiding Fortune 500s and high-growth startups to create brand advantage. My work spans industries from technology and finance to luxury, healthcare, and CPG. I've advised companies like Coca-Cola, Verizon, and Walmart, as well as VC-backed disruptors from Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, and Google Ventures. As Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Fazer, I've pioneered De-Positioning, a hard-strategy methodology that renders competitors irrelevant by solving customer pain points better than anyone else. I believe differentiation is dead. In today’s hypercompetitive markets, white space disappears instantly. The new era of marketing is the era of problem-solving. Dominant brands like Apple prove this repeatedly. They win not by chasing difference, but by solving customer pain points with relentless clarity and discipline. This is the true engine of market dominance. At Fazer, we work direct-to-leadership, helping executives sharpen their competitive position in markets where rivalry is relentless and advantage is fleeting. De-Positioning is the framework that turns brand into a system of advantage. It's a discipline that unites business, brand, marketing, and sales into one strategic force. I am the author of "De-Positioning: The Secret Brand Strategy for Creating Competitive Advantage", which codifies this methodology into six principles for building brands that don’t just compete, but control the terms of competition itself. We live in a new era where brand is not a marketing function. It is a strategic lever for growth, trust, and leadership. The companies that embrace this truth will define the future of their industries. The rest will be de-positioned.

Olena Zaitseva is an independent Brand & AI Systems Strategist working at the intersection of brand strategy, emerging technologies, and decision intelligence. She advises founders, leadership teams, and technology companies on how brands are interpreted, ranked, and trusted by AI systems, generative search, and automated decision models. Her perspective is grounded in years of hands-on experience as a creative director and industrial designer, where she led brand, product, and visual systems in high-stakes commercial environments. This background allows her to translate abstract AI behavior into concrete strategic and design decisions. Her work focuses on AI visibility, narrative stability, and entity-level brand integrity, helping organizations understand where authority is lost, distorted, or misread by algorithms. She is the founder of Geonyx, a research-driven framework and platform for diagnosing how brands appear across AI-driven ecosystems, and regularly comments on AI, brand trust, and algorithmic reputation.

Mark MacDonald is a seasoned strategist and creative with 4 decades of expertise in powerful Branding and Marketing Communication based on reliable research. He's the go-to guide for effective church communication, branding, and logos. As a bestselling author, engaging speaker, and founder of BeKnownforSomething.com, Mark empowers church leaders to communicate with impact.

Kristopher Michael Wood Behavior Design Strategist. Founder of iLLOGICAL iNFLUENCE. Director of Brand Storytelling at Lotos Nile. Kristopher Michael Wood works at the intersection of behavioral science, brand strategy, and storytelling, helping organizations move people to act. He is the Founder of iLLOGICAL iNFLUENCE, a behavior design consultancy that uses ethical influence and human-centered design to shape decisions, build trust, and change outcomes for clients ranging from professionals and nonprofits to Fortune 500 teams. He also serves as Director of Brand Storytelling at Lotos Nile, a Nashville-based marketing and communications firm where he builds brand systems and campaigns rooted in behavioral evidence rather than guesswork. Kristopher is one of a small handful of practitioners trained directly by the three figures often referred to as the grandmasters of human behavior: Dr. Robert Cialdini, Dr. BJ Fogg, and Rory Sutherland. He is a founding member of the Cialdini Institute and a Certified Cialdini Coach and Consultant, applying Cialdini's seven principles of influence to marketing, UX, and brand systems. He completed Behavior Design Expert Training with Dr. BJ Fogg of Stanford University, and he earned the Mark of Distinction in Rory Sutherland's MAD//Masters program. He is also a Certified Member of the Global Association of Applied Behavioral Scientists (GAABS) and holds a certification in Online Influence Fundamentals from the Online Influence Institute. His professional certifications further span Apple Search Ads, Google's Generative AI Learning Path, Google Digital Marketing and E-Commerce, Google Data Analytics, Google UX Design, Google Project Management, LinkedIn Decision Intelligence, and Management Consulting Foundations through Skillfully. Before moving into strategy, Kristopher spent more than two decades working at the highest levels of live production. He served over a decade as an Automated Lighting Programmer for The Late Show with David Letterman and toured worldwide as a programmer and technician for Radiohead, Elton John, Cher, Sheryl Crow, and Roxy Music, every one of whom is now in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. His credits include the Grammy Awards, the Olympics, the Democratic National Convention, and the NBA Finals, along with technical work for Vari-Lite. That career taught him about timing, spectacle, and human response in real time, lessons that now inform how he designs behavior change for brands. He is the author of two books. New York Birds Don't Climb: Ernest Hemingway and the City (2023) is a literary study of Chicago, Paris, and New York as forces that shaped Ernest Hemingway, drawing primarily on Hemingway's preserved correspondence. Business Lessons from Taylor Swift: What Every Business Can Learn from a Global Icon is the first business book to analyze Taylor Swift's career as a case study in storytelling, personal branding, and strategic positioning, and it became a best-seller in its category. His shorter writing appears regularly in McSweeney's Internet Tendency, The American Bystander, Points in Case, Weekly Humorist, Humor Times, and Sorbet Magazine, where he serves as Political Correspondent. His political commentary has run in The Portland Press Herald, the Sun Journal (Lewiston, ME), and the Kennebec Journal. He has completed formal Satire Writing I and II training at The Second City. Kristopher holds a Master of Arts in History and Literature from Columbia University, where he was part of the Hemingway, Italy, and the Literary Imagination program, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from New York University. He completed additional academic work in Literature at École Normale Supérieure and in History at Université Paris-Sorbonne, and earned an Associate degree from Full Sail University. During his undergraduate years at NYU, he was recognized with the Founder's Day Award (2014), the Harvey J. Stedman Award (2014), the McGhee Scholars Scholarship (2011 and 2012), and the Bernard Osher Scholarship (2010 and 2013). He also served as an Editorial Intern at George Mason University's History News Network and earlier worked as an Education Consultant at ENREACH Education in Chengdu, China. His proprietary frameworks include BRAVO for Brand Storytelling, a structured method for applying behavioral science to brand narrative, and his consulting practice covers behavior design, Cialdini-grounded persuasion, UX strategy, brand psychology, decision intelligence, and persuasive copywriting. Kristopher lives and works in Hailey, Idaho.

Stepan Kazaryan is a Business Management Consultant focused on digital presence, professional evaluation, and how public information shapes decision-making in modern business environments. His work centers on helping organizations and professionals understand how they are perceived before direct interaction occurs. In search-driven systems, evaluation often happens silently and quickly. Stepan advises clients on building structured digital foundations that support credibility over time. His approach emphasizes clarity, consistency, and responsible positioning rather than short-term visibility tactics. He works with executives, founders, and professional service providers who recognize that digital footprints influence trust, partnerships, and opportunity flow. By aligning websites, public profiles, and third-party references, Stepan helps create stable professional narratives that reduce uncertainty during evaluation. Rather than focusing on reactive measures, his advisory framework prioritizes preparation. This includes analyzing how search results present a name, how information connects across platforms, and how inconsistencies affect perception. The goal is to strengthen long-term positioning in a way that feels natural and sustainable. Stepan frequently writes and speaks about digital identity, credibility signals, and the structural factors that influence professional trust in online environments. His perspective reflects a broader shift in how professionals are assessed in the age of search and public information accessibility. Through disciplined strategy and steady execution, Stepan Kazaryan helps clients maintain clarity in environments where perception often forms before conversation begins.

Hi, I'm Marissa! I combine psychology, storytelling, and visual design to help your small business make a bigger impact. Did you know over 80% of our decisions are made unconsciously? Which means your dream clients are out there scrolling, searching, and deciding...without even realizing why they choose the things they do. Every word, visual, and vibe you put out into the world is working for or against you right now. And while pretty visuals and clever copy may seem great at first glance, they only go so far. Real impact happens when you connect with your audience on an emotional level. It’s not just about what you’re saying or showing, it’s about how it makes them feel. When you tap into that emotional connection, suddenly your brand isn’t just “another option.” It’s the option. That’s how you stop blending in and start building a brand that truly sticks. Interested in working together? Visit https://marissapane.com/apply or send me a DM to inquire!

As the lead strategist for 69player, I specialize in bridging the gap between ancient Eastern metaphysics (Yin/Yang & 5-Elements) and modern lifestyle challenges. My work focuses on "Energy Psychology"—the practice of using physical objects as cognitive anchors for intention setting, mindfulness, and spatial harmony. I provide expert insights on how traditional wisdom—from Feng Shui to Taoist duality—can be applied as practical tools for emotional grounding, stress management, and mindful interior design. My mission is to help the modern, fast-paced world find its "69 balance" between active mastery (Yang) and restorative peace (Yin). Key Expertise: The "69" Philosophy: Balancing Duality in Daily Life. Environmental Psychology through Feng Shui & Wu Xing (5-Elements). Symbolic Protection: The history and psychology of amulets (Red String, Obsidian, etc.). Intention Setting & Vibrational Alignment for Wellness.

I am the Founder & Brand Director of Evashu Crystals International, an India-based natural crystal and gemstone brand serving customers worldwide. My work focuses on building a specialised D2C brand across natural crystal jewellery, gemstones, raw stones, crystal décor and meaningful lifestyle products. I work across brand strategy, ecommerce, product curation, customer education, content development, visual storytelling and international digital growth. I have hands-on experience building an online consumer brand from a smaller Indian city and using ecommerce infrastructure, digital marketing, search-driven content and educational resources to reach customers beyond the domestic market. My areas of expertise include natural crystals and gemstone jewellery, D2C ecommerce, niche consumer-brand building, product sourcing, ecommerce content strategy, SEO and AI-search content, customer education, product storytelling and international ecommerce. I particularly enjoy explaining complex or unfamiliar product categories in simple, useful language. In the crystal and gemstone space, this includes topics such as crystal identification, traditional gemstone symbolism, jewellery styling, crystal care and cleansing, natural-stone characteristics, gifting, home décor and buying guides. I take an evidence-conscious approach to crystal content. Traditional or spiritual associations are presented as cultural beliefs or personal symbolism rather than medical treatments or guaranteed outcomes. I believe customers should receive clear information about materials, natural variation, product construction, care requirements and international purchasing expectations. As Evashu grows internationally, my goal is to build a trusted global brand from India while demonstrating how specialised D2C businesses from smaller cities can use digital tools, content and customer trust to compete in international markets. I am available to comment on and contribute expert perspectives on: • D2C ecommerce and niche consumer brands • Indian entrepreneurship and Tier-2/Tier-3 city founders • International ecommerce expansion • Natural crystals and gemstone jewellery • Consumer education and content-led growth • Product sourcing and presentation • SEO, AI-search and digital brand discovery • Emerging lifestyle and wellness-adjacent consumer categories • Jewellery, gifting and natural-material product trends

I've spent 20+ years helping organizations build and refine marketing programs, focusing on content strategy, growth marketing, product marketing, GTM, and thought leadership. I've had roles across SaaS, MarTech, ecommerce, and high-growth tech at every stage from startup to enterprise. That experience translates well beyond those industries, including biotech, legal, and emerging tech. I’m regularly quoted in the press and publish articles on topics including growth strategy, consumer behavior, ecommerce, retail, email marketing, and customer lifecycle strategy. A good chunk of my career has been about making complicated products and ideas feel approachable. That means working closely with Product, Sales, and Executive teams to solidify positioning and build content programs that increase revenue. I've managed and grown marketing teams, and ensured my teams were challenged and had the tools and resources they needed to do their jobs well and grow as professionals.

I help CEOs, Founders, and Visionary Leaders transform their digital presence from a cost centre into their most powerful profit engine. I believe a leader's brand shouldn't just be seen, it should drive business. That’s why I go beyond basic design to build strategic online systems that blend creative storytelling with smart automation, AI, and performance marketing, delivering not just visibility, but measurable ROI. How I Create Scalable Growth & Lasting Impact → Build Authority-Focused Personal Brands: Blending strategic storytelling with SEO to transform leaders into recognised voices who inspire trust and measurable growth. → I build automated growth systems that transform your digital presence into a self-sustaining sales engine, operating 24/7 beyond the limits of ad spend. → Strategic Content & Brand Marketing: Developing Content Strategies, Brand Designs, and Marketing Campaigns that amplify visibility, trust, and conversions. → Ghostwriting for Thought Leaders: Shaping powerful, authentic narratives that elevate your voice, build authority, and position you as a trusted industry leader across digital and editorial platforms. Results: •Proven Impact for Clients: Reduced Customer Acquisition Cost by 60% by replacing paid ads with a Seo personal brand system. •Achieved 5x higher engagement on a founder’s LinkedIn content through optimised posting strategy and storytelling. •Delivered 3.5x ROI in 3 months for a skincare founder via AI-powered content, SEO, and funnel optimisation. Why Partner With Me? Because your online presence isn’t just a brand—it’s a business asset. I ensure it delivers meaning, momentum, and measurable ROI through strategy, storytelling, and systems that scale. Together, we’ll build a brand that doesn’t just tell a story, it drives revenue, builds authority, and creates lasting impact. https://seoportfolio.in/

Helping companies get mentioned in LLMs and gaining a deep understanding of why and where they need to be cited.

Hello fellow human, robot, or occasionally sentient algorithm. A few mantras I keep coming back to: in all cases, it depends. All things are possible, with budget. Nothing is as complex, or as simple, as it seems. And if you start with a different definition of success, you've already failed. I'm the founder of Golden Consulting, a digital marketing strategy and fractional CMO practice built around GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): helping brands get cited by AI answer engines, not just ranked on Google. Fifteen years in sales and marketing, ten-plus of that in digital specifically. I've been the buyer, the agency, and the AE, so I know what a CMO is actually asking when they push back on your proposal. The GEO focus took shape at Rankings.io, where I built the strategy and methodology from scratch for a legal marketing team: the framework, the narrative, the sales enablement, then handed it off and watched the team close at a level they hadn't hit before. Building something other people could run with turned out to be a different kind of win than carrying my own number, and I found it more rewarding. The methodology's expanding well beyond legal now, which is most of what I do at Golden Consulting today. Some of that thinking has ended up on AZ TechCast, Phoenix Business Radio, and Slator, talking through what GEO actually means for a marketing strategy in practice. Born in the US, raised in Australia, calling Colorado home now (ish). Came into marketing sideways, through psychology and market research at Monash University in Melbourne. For an interesting conversation, ask me about the eerie, non-coincidental similarities between how LLMs work and how the human mind does.

Founder of Inprint Designs, specializing in minimalist modern wall art and interior decor trends. Passionate about helping homeowners create serene, high-quality spaces with contemporary art.

Naeem Abbas is the founder of Connectively.uk and creator of the Authority Engineering Framework, a four-stage methodology helping B2B brands, SaaS companies, and scaling businesses build long-term editorial authority. Connectively secures editorial backlinks from real publishers, strategic PR placements on AP News, MSN, Yahoo Finance, and Business Insider, and permanent indexed authority assets through Leadership Interviews, Brand Stories, and Expert Voices content. Naeem advises founders and operators on editorial credibility, AI search discoverability, and the trust signals that convert serious buyers before any sales conversation begins.

Meet Georgi Petrov, the driving force behind AIG MARKETER, a dynamic digital marketing agency. A multifaceted entrepreneur, he not only owns thriving multi-7-figure online stores but also curates insightful content on his blog at georgiadvice.com. On his YouTube channel, he generously shares his vast experience. Holding an MBA and boasting 13+ years in digital marketing, Georgi has helped countless startups, coaches, and Fortune 500 giants across 13+ markets. A Google and Meta certified pro, Georgi personifies digital success.

How do you get more fanatics in love with your brand? That's where we come in.We help beauty, fashion and luxury brands to create a cohesive brand presence, irresistible differentiation, and amplify compelling stories that resonate.We deliver services for brands in the US, UK, Asia, and Australia across: * Brand positioning strategy * Brand messaging and tone of voice * Brand visual identity design * Brand marketing and storytelling campaign strategy * Content and community campaign strategy * Content production support * Bespoke paid media strategies across YouTube, Google, and MetaThese are the foundations that help brands:* To build a wider community of brand-proud fans* To land 'next level' retailer and investor partnerships* To drive more salesIf you’re on the path to becoming a household name, and curious to learn more about our process and case studies, you're welcome to get in touch.

How do you get more fanatics in love with your brand? That's where we come in.We help beauty, fashion and luxury brands to create a cohesive brand presence, irresistible differentiation, and amplify compelling stories that resonate.We deliver services for brands in the US, UK, Asia, and Australia across: * Brand positioning strategy * Brand messaging and tone of voice * Brand visual identity design * Brand marketing and storytelling campaign strategy * Content and community campaign strategy * Content production support * Bespoke paid media strategies across YouTube, Google, and MetaThese are the foundations that help brands:* To build a wider community of brand-proud fans* To land 'next level' retailer and investor partnerships* To drive more salesIf you’re on the path to becoming a household name, and curious to learn more about our process and case studies, you're welcome to get in touch.

Khaled Makki is a Brand Architect and serial entrepreneur who specializes in building narrative-driven, premium brand identities. As the co-founder of the footwear brand Maksters and the founder of the interior design firm Maksters Manor, he has spent over six years blending physical aesthetics with consumer psychology to build cult-status brands. His work focuses heavily on strategic storytelling, long-term narrative coherence, and structural positioning for premium markets. Topics I Can Comment on: Premium Brand Architecture: Navigating the shift from a generic business to a narrative-driven, premium brand identity. The Power of Narrative Coherence: How storytelling acts as a structural pillar for long-term consumer trust. Multi-Disciplinary Design Execution: Bridging the design gap between physical products, premium packaging, and high-end spatial interiors. Building Cult Brands: Direct strategies on scaling a niche, design-focused brand in a competitive marketplace.

Alan Schaffer is a New York-based creative strategist with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of brand strategy, design, and technology. What makes Alan rare is his ability to operate fluently across all three disciplines — thinking in strategy, designing with intention, and building with precision. He doesn't impose a house aesthetic; he adapts to each brand's world and finds the simplest, most elegant path to drive sales, deepen customer relationships, and create lasting digital experiences. His work has quietly shaped some of the most influential names in streetwear and independent fashion, making him one of the most trusted behind-the-scenes forces in the industry.

Nick Gray is the Founder & CEO of IGU Global, a Sydney-based retail strategy consultancy with over 25 years across Nike, Adidas, Diesel, Sneakerboy and Westfield. Nick works with founders, brand leaders and leadership teams to build emotionally intelligent brands and navigate growth, disruption and change in an AI-accelerated world. IGU Global specialises in retail strategy, brand strategy, customer experience design, leadership alignment and advisory work grounded in consumer psychology, emotional intelligence and human behaviour. Nick is a recognised keynote speaker on the future of retail, emotional intelligence and AI-era leadership. His talks challenge assumptions, restore clarity, and move rooms from insight to action. He has spoken at iMedia Summit Australia, Independent Schools NSW VET Conference, and retail industry events across Australia. Nick is a regular contributor to Inside Retail across Australia, USA and Asia and has been recognised as a Top Retail Expert 2026 by Rethink Retail. He appeared on the Add to Cart Playbook podcast (episode #614) and has been featured across retail and brand strategy publications. His philosophy: Business clarity + emotional precision = lasting impact. IGU Global is an independent consultancy based in Sydney, Australia. Not affiliated with IGI Global or any academic publisher.