Matter Of Form

MOF CEO Anant Sharma on the role of rituals in our lives and the part that brands can and have played in them at Walpole’s British Luxury Summit in April. #MatterOfForm #Walpole #WalpoleBritishLuxurySummit #Luxury #BritishLuxury #Ritual #Branding #CX #Meaning

It’s never been easier to find like-minds. Driven by algorithmic dominance and the easy nature of habit, all of us fall into followings of some kind – consciously or otherwise. Apple’s is one so strong legions of us hoard stacks of plain white boxes in the backs of our closets for no apparent reason. In 2008, a study from Duke University where they flashed either the IBM logo or the Apple logo to two groups of randomised participants found that those who were subliminally exposed to the Apple logo performed better at creative tasks, compared to those exposed to IBM’s. Over and over again, Apple has been telling us the same story: that they are the brand for cool, creative, fun, forward-thinking people. A consistent ideology which, evidently, has had a significant influence beyond point of sale. Cults are just really successful brands. Unpicking how cults form in the modern world and why, the MOF team distils how cultish cornerstones like ideology, language, ritual and myth can cultivate fanatically loyal followings for brands who wish to stand the test of time. Link in comments. #MatterOfForm #CultBrands #Cult #Cultish #BrandMyth #BrandStorytelling #BrandStrategy #Ritual #BrandLanguage #Fandom

Laurel, the Portuguese Brands of Excellence Association, would like to express its heartfelt appreciation for the exceptional contributions made during the fourth panel at the Laurel and Vista Alegre 200 Years Luxury Brands Summit: Art – “Artists and Brands, Is That a Love Affair?” More than ever, brands need artists and art to differentiate themselves and gain an edge in today’s competitive landscape. Our sincere thanks to: max vadukul • Photographer Maura Marvão • International Representative for Spain and Portugal at Phillips - Art Auction House & Gallery Your insights underscored this powerful synergy, adding immense value to the summit. A special appreciation to Anant Sharma from Matter Of Form for skillfully moderating the discussion. Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. Thank you for reminding us that it is the courage to “Think Different” that moves us all forward. Em último, mas certamente não menos importante, a Laurel – Associação Portuguesa de Marcas de Excelência gostaria de expressar o seu profundo agradecimento pelas contribuições excecionais feitas durante o quarto painel do Laurel e Vista Alegre 200 Years Luxury Brands Summit: Arte – “Artists and Brands, Is That a Love Affair?” Mais do que nunca, as marcas precisam de artistas e arte para se diferenciarem e ganharem vantagem no competitivo panorama atual. O nosso agradecimento a: max vadukul • Photographer Maura Marvão • International Representative for Spain and Portugal at Phillips - Art Auction House & Gallery As vossas perspetivas sublinharam esta poderosa sinergia, acrescentando um valor imenso ao nosso summit. Um agradecimento especial a Anant Sharma da Matter Of Form por moderar a discussão com tanta maestria. Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. Thank you for reminding us that it is the courage to “Think Different” that moves us all forward. Obrigado por nos lembrarem de que é a coragem de “Pensar Diferente” que nos faz avançar a todos.

back to the roots. looking forward to talking UX / Matter Of Form -- why the ux vocation needs to think wider; and why the toolkit needs to be brought to the boardroom

A couple of shots from the Laurel and Vista Alegre 200 Years Luxury Brands Summit where MOF CEO Anant Sharma moderated one panel on the intersection of art and brands and featured on another covering brand comms and marketing with tight budgets. Debate was spirited, showing the genuine care behind each speaker's take and the work that drives them. Huge thank you to LAUREL and Vista Alegre for having us — a lovely day in Lisbon all round. Looking forward to the next. #MatterOfForm #Luxury #LuxurySummit #LuxuryBrands #Innovation #Art #Branding #Design #Consultancy #ECCIA #Lisbon #Portugal

Kicking off the fourth series of What The Luxe, we welcome Director of the renowned Zaha Hadid Architects and our esteemed client, Melodie Leung, as she reflects on her remarkable nineteen-year journey with the firm. Through her story, Melodie offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of one of the world’s most innovative and influential architecture practices, sharing the passion, craft and forward-thinking that define the Zaha Hadid legacy. Listen to the latest episode of What The Luxe now, wherever you get your podcasts – links in comments. #MatterOfForm #WhatTheLuxe #Podcast #Luxury #ZahaHadid #ZHA #Architecture #Futuristic #Design #Form #Function #Art

*COMING SOON* – Matter Of Form’s Guide to The Modern Guest Experience This isn’t another oversimplified piece of research, primed for search engines or laced with jargon. Instead, JOURNEYS is part-journal, part-manual for anyone in hospitality – covering the complexities that come with designing rich experiences and the nuances needed to execute them. A collection of human truths, insights and instances of innovation, drawing inspiration from the fields of business, branding, behavioral science and design thinking – backed by a bank of best-in-class cases and the MOF network. Launching Winter 2024. Pre-order your copy now via the link in comments / or leave a comment below and we'll reach out. #hospitality #travel #trends #cx #guestexperience #innovation

Jewellery has been a symbol of status since before history was written. In the following millennia, the status attached to these anatomy ornaments has cycled through meaning – at various times reflecting divinity, wealth, political power, social capital or celebrity, and now a melting pot of them all. From modern heirlooms to conscious carats, pop culture drip to gems cut by AI – it’s all to play for in these spaces, especially for bold brands. Read now via the link in comments. #MatterOfForm #FineJewellery #Jewellery #Report #Luxury #Watches #Gemstones #Trends #LuxuryIndustry #LuxuryTrends

Of all the cultural marks defining the 80s, only one has endured as both symbol of nostalgic retro aesthetics and ubiquitous digital icon: the floppy disk. Originally called a diskette, floppy disks were external memory storage devices popularly used throughout the 80s and 90s. Often colourful with handwritten labels, ‘floppies’, as they were affectionately known, were easily swapped among friends to share games and other software. By 2011 though, these retro squares had been rendered obsolete in their original function to save and store, replaced by USB flash drives. And yet, the floppy disk lives on as the ‘save’ icon in the minds (and screens) of most. Designer Lucas Rhys reckons it’ll be the same for AI. Beginning with the semiotic parallels between floppies and artificial intelligence, Lucas walks us through a creative experiment designed to answer the question plaguing agencies and freelancers alike: Can AI create compelling brands? Link in comments. #MatterOfForm #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Creativity #Branding #GenerativeAI #Midjourney #OpenAI #ChatGPT #Sora 

We assume that innovation is technology, and that what’s new is what’s next. But even with the AI hype dominating headlines, our collective need for a human touch has never wavered. If anything it has soared. That goes for both our personal and professional worlds, as well as nearly every discipline. Next week, MOF CEO Anant Sharma will take on this topic at the HR Summit & Expo in Dubai, exploring how AI can enhance modern HR processes while striking a much-needed balance between technological innovation and the distinctly human empathy crucial for fostering a positive workplace culture. Catch the talk on Tuesday 22nd October at 10:15am GT and let us know if you’ll be around in the comments. #MatterOfForm #HRSE #HRSummitExpo #Dubai #HumanResources #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #HumanTouch #WorkplaceCulture #People #Innovation #Technology