If it seems like the whole world is talking only about AI, you’re not imagining it. In fact, in the past 10 days, we’ve written five blogs about AI. But there’s another marketing tool that’s just as powerful and much older, branding.

Branding is the other side of the AI coin. While AI transforms how we create and measure, branding is how we signal meaning and trust in an uncertain marketplace.

Wisdom Takes Work

We’re big fans of Ryan Holiday’s work, and this week he dropped the latest book in his series on “The Four Virtues” this one on wisdom. In it, he writes that wisdom pays dividends. Not in an instant, but over a lifetime.

That’s how we should think about branding. The work you put into your brand may not seem profound day to day, but over time, those small efforts compound into something incredible.

If your brand is reputation “what people say about you when you’re not in the room” then branding is a set of actions that builds and manages that reputation.

 Signaling Theory: The Science of Trust

There’s a concept in social science that explains this perfectly: signaling theory.

The idea is simple: we don’t tell consumers we’re a premium brand, we signal it. Those signals we send are what we call branding.

Signals are designed to lower uncertainty and bridge the information gap between what a brand knows about itself and what a consumer can’t see. The consumer doesn’t live in your head; they judge your brand based on visible cues that imply effort and credibility.

Effort builds trust.
Consistency reinforces it.
And trust compounds just like wisdom does.

The Real-World Feedback Loop

When your brand consistently does what it says it will do, that’s how affinity is built. Over time, the market forms feedback loops that reinforce your signals:

If you say your product is premium, show it 
If you say you value customers, listen and respond visibly.
If you say you’re sustainable, prove it, even when it’s inconvenient.

A brand like Patagonia no longer has to prove its sustainability, they’ve sent enough credible signals over time that the market now does that signaling for them.

Why This Matters Now

In this new age of AI, consumers increasingly offload decisions to systems—whether that’s TikTok’s algorithm or a large language model recommending travel destinations.

That means trust becomes the currency that guides automated choices.
If a traveler feels affinity toward your destination or even perceives that someone they follow does that trust signal carries through every layer of automation.

“Heather went to Louisville and said it was so much fun.”

This becomes the game, as travelers plan for the holidays or into 2026, they’re using AI tools and TikTok to shape their experiences. Here is the difference in what those prompts might look like if the traveler has an affinity towards a brand or if they just want to go on a trip:

Branding Prompt

“You’re my travel planning assistant. I’m booking a 7-day trip to Hawaii for April 7-14th. Use Delta or Alaska Airlines, and stay at a boutique, design-forward hotel, not a chain. I prefer experiences that feel local, outdoorsy, and culturally authentic, not tourist traps. My budget is around $7000 total for two people. I enjoy coffee, bourbon, photography, and hiking, and I’m allergic to shellfish. Focus on Oahu and the Big Island, but skip Maui this time. Give me a proposed itinerary with flights, lodging, and three must-do experiences each with a rationale explaining why it fits my brand preferences and personality signals.”

Generic Prompt

“Plan a 7-day trip to Hawaii for two people in April with flights, hotels, and excursions included.”

The Questions Every Marketer Should Ask

As you enter the holiday season, take a moment to ask yourself and your team:

1. What’s the asymmetry?
   What do we know that our customers don’t and how can we bridge that gap?
2. What’s the costly signal?
  What can you do that competitors won’t or can’t fake?
3. How is it scalable and repeatable?
How do we ensure that trust signal compounds over time?
4. How do we show it to the world?
Which stories, visuals, and behaviors carry our credibility forward?

Trust as the Ultimate Signal

In a world increasingly mediated by algorithms, trust is the most powerful signal your brand can send. Every campaign, every piece of content, every customer interaction contributes to that signal. The more costly, consistent, and visible your signals are, the harder they are to fake and the longer they last.

Branding isn’t about controlling perception anymore. It’s about designing signals that earn over a lifetime.