If you’ve been online lately, chances are you’ve seen a product go viral not for what it does, but for how it feels. Welcome to the world of vibe marketing – where brand strategy has less to do with features and more to do with feelings¹.

But here’s the thing: vibe marketing isn’t new. We’ve just given it a new name.

What Happens Before the Sale – and Why Does It Feel So Good?

From corner stores to couture, design has always played a role in how we sell. Whether it was the nostalgic jingle of a cereal brand or the carefully chosen typeface on a record sleeve, we’ve always been drawn to stories – not just specs². Design builds the world around the product, and the vibe is how we experience it.

Today, that world-building is strategic. Brands like Glossier didn’t just sell makeup – they sold relatability and a feeling of personal agency³. Patagonia didn’t just sell outerwear – they wrapped it in activism and purpose⁴. IKEA sells more than flat-pack furniture; they sell an idea of attainable, modern, joyful living⁵.

In these examples, the product matters – but the vibe? That’s what people stay for.

So What Is Vibe Marketing, Really?

You’ve seen it – those brands that somehow just feel right. The aesthetic is cohesive, the messaging flows, the tone feels like a friend who gets it. It’s not just about selling a product anymore; it’s about selling a mood, a story, a lifestyle. And behind it all? You guessed it: design⁶.

Vibe marketing is the emotional and sensory storytelling of a brand — how it feels to interact with it. The music, the visuals, the packaging, the UX, the copy — all aligned to evoke a certain energy⁷. This isn’t new. But what’s changed is how central design has become in crafting and delivering that vibe.

And here’s where societal design comes in. Because when vibes influence how we consume, interact, and even see ourselves, design stops being just a tool — it becomes a force shaping behaviors, communities, and culture⁸.

Vibe Marketing Is Just...Societal Design? 

Let’s connect the dots. Vibe marketing is aesthetic storytelling. But societal design is intentional world-building. It asks not just “how do people engage with this brand?” but “what systems, ethics, and futures does this brand reinforce?”⁹

It becomes powerful when it goes beyond surface aesthetics. When the visual direction, tone of voice, and user experience reflect deeper values – like inclusivity, sustainability, or transparency – we’re no longer just creating demand. We’re building trust¹⁰. That’s societal design in action.

So yes, a vibe can sell. But a vibe can also shift perspectives, build community, and spark systemic change. If vibe marketing shows us what resonates, societal design gives that resonance direction.

Can Data Decode a Vibe? 

Now that “vibe” is a strategy, we have something else, too: data.

Engagement rates, scroll time, sentiment analysis – these aren’t just marketing KPIs. They’re insights into how people are thinking, feeling, and acting¹¹. They show us how aesthetics and values translate into real-world behavior. The growing demand for brands with purpose, the preference for soft, minimal design, the rise of lo-fi authenticity – these are design signals and societal indicators¹².

And this is where it clicks: data helps us decode the vibe, but it also helps us design better systems. If we know people respond to clarity, calm, and care – can we design public services with those values? If we know storytelling outperforms jargon – how might we rethink healthcare communication or climate education?¹³

Vibe is a mood. Data is a map. Societal design is the journey.

Which Brands are Doing This Now?

Let’s revisit those brand examples – because they’re more than aesthetic wins. They’re proof that vibe is strategy.

Take Patagonia. On the surface, it’s a clothing brand. But the vibe? It’s environmental responsibility, activism, and getting outside to reconnect with the planet. From recycled materials to minimalist design to donating profits to climate action – Patagonia doesn’t just sell jackets, it sells a belief system⁴.

Then there’s Glossier – a beauty brand that tapped into something much bigger than skincare. Glossier built a world where community, minimalism, and “real-girl beauty” drove the narrative. From millennial pink packaging to user-generated content, the whole brand felt like a curated digital diary made by and for the community³.

And of course, IKEA. The layouts of their stores, the quirky product names, the democratic flat-pack ethos – it all teaches you how to live more efficiently. IKEA’s vibe isn’t just functional; it’s cultural. Minimal, future-conscious, and accessible⁵.

So What?

Vibe marketing is more than a trend – it’s a mirror. It reflects what people want more of: connection, beauty, meaning. But if we stop there, we miss the point.

As designers, we can do more than follow the vibe. We can direct it. We can use emotional resonance as a tool for social change, not just sales. We can measure impact not just in likes, but in lives improved, systems simplified, trust restored.

Because at the end of the day, design isn’t just how it looks – it’s how it shapes the world.

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/mvselvanathan/
https://www.synerastudio.com/

Footnotes

1. Piper, Kelsey. “The Rise of the Vibe Economy.” Vox, 8 Aug. 2023.
2. Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Back Bay Books, 2002. 
3. Wanshel, Elyse. “Glossier Isn’t Just Makeup — It’s a Lifestyle.” HuffPost, 9 Dec. 2021. 
4. Friedman, Vanessa. “Patagonia, the Activist Company.” The New York Times, 14 Sept. 2022. 
5. Postrel, Virginia. The Substance of Style. Harper Perennial, 2004.
6. Lupton, Ellen. Design Is Storytelling. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 2017. 
7. Neumeier, Marty. The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design. New Riders, 2005. 
8. Manzini, Ezio. Design, When Everybody Designs: An Introduction to Design for Social Innovation. MIT Press, 2015. 
9. Rawsthorn, Alice. Design as an Attitude. JRP|Ringier, 2018. 
10. Brown, Tim, and Jocelyn Wyatt. “Design Thinking for Social Innovation.” Stanford Social Innovation Review, Winter 2010. 
11. Galloway, Scott. The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. Portfolio, 2017. 
12. Lupton, Ellen. Design Is Storytelling. 
13. Brown and Wyatt, “Design Thinking for Social Innovation.”