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Hidden AirPods features — 5 things you didn’t know your Apple earbuds could do

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Answer the phone with a nod, and more

Apple’s AirPods are some of the most popular earbuds and headphones that you can buy today. It’s no great surprise why, considering how well they work with iPhone devices and the sheer number of features available out of the box. But; did you know that there’s loads about your AirPods that you might not know about?

There are loads of different hidden features built into the AirPods line, from funky extras that let you take photos with your earbuds to head gestures that can answer and reject calls. Whether you own a pair of AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 3 or AirPods Max, here are the hidden features you didn’t know were in your AirPods.

1. Take a picture

AirPods Pro 3

(Image credit: Future)

I’ll bet you didn’t know you could use your AirPods as a remote control for the camera on your iPhone! It’s super easy as well — you just need to activate it in the settings menu.

Head to the settings menu, and find your AirPods. Scroll down to the camera control section, and choose the option that suits you. You can choose a single or long tap to activate the shutter in the camera app.

From there, open the camera app, and try your new shortcut. You’ll get a countdown on screen, and then your phone takes a picture. Perfect for group photos!

Airpods this works with:

  • AirPods Pro 3
  • AirPods Pro 2
  • AirPods 4

2. Nod to accept a call

AirPods 4

(Image credit: Future/ Alex Bracetti)

Ever found your hands full, only to need to answer a call on your earpuds? Don’t worry, Apple thought of a solution. There’s a setting that lets you nod your head to accept a call and shake your head to decline it. It’s found hidden away in the settings menu.

Open the menu, and find your AirPods settings. Scroll down until you find head gestures, and toggle the option on. Now, you can accept and decline calls with a nod or a shake of your head.

AirPods this works with:

  • AirPods Pro 3
  • AirPods Pro 2
  • AirPods 4
  • AirPods 3

3. Make sure your AirPods fit correctly

AirPods Pro 3

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

Finding the right fit with any pair of earbuds can be tricky. Which ear tips should you use? How do they slip in properly? Apple has made it easier to make sure that your earbuds are fitting properly with fit test.

Head to the settings menu, and select your AirPods. Navigate to Ear Tip Fit Test, and then run the test. Adjust their fit as needed with a new set of tips — remember, you might need one side to be bigger than the other.

Once it’s all done, your AirPods will fit better, they’ll even likely sound slightly better. and, as an added bonus, the ANC will block more noise. Make sure you run this test!

AirPods this works with:

  • AirPods Pro 3 (it’s called “Acoustic Seal Test”)
  • AirPods Pro 2

4. Chill out with relaxing sounds

A pair of Apple AirPods Pro 3

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

Did you know that your AirPods can help you relax? There are built in sounds that can calm you down. They’re called “Background Sounds,” and there’s a series of different options to choose from. Six, in fact.

Head to the settings menu, and go to the accessibility section. Then you’ll choose the Audio/Visual menu, and navigate to the Background Sounds option. From there, choose your sound. Now you can sleep peacefully without being woken up by your snoring partner. Or the hamster wheel. Or, well, whatever it is that keeps you up.

AirPods this works with:

  • AirPods Pro 3
  • Airpods Pro 2
  • AirPods Pro
  • AirPods 4
  • AirPods 3
  • AirPods 2
  • AirPods Max

5. Watch your movies without disturbing your family

A pair of Apple AirPods Pro 3

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

If you’ve got an Apple TV, you can connect your Airpods and listen to the audio without waking anyone else up at more… interesting hours. It’s super easy, and if your AirPods support Spatial Audio, then you’ll get surround with some of your content as well.

To see if your AirPods are connected to your Apple TV, press the power button to bring up control center. Check the audio menu here and find your AirPods. Now you can watch all your movies and TV with your AirPods! Simple, and very useful.

AirPods this works with:

  • AirPods Pro 3
  • AirPods Pro 2
  • AirPods Pro
  • AirPods 4
  • AirPods 3
  • AirPods 2
  • AirPods
  • AirPods Max

Feature image credit: Tom’s Guide

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Sourced from tom’s guide

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Google Adds AI-Powered Comparisons To Trends

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Google has announced an update to Google Trends, its comparative search volume tool, which will now include AI suggestions to help contextualize searches, and give you more insight into relative Search interest and engagement.

The big functional change is that Google’s added a suggested terms for comparison option in the right-hand side bar within Trends. These suggestions are powered by Gemini, and will give you more options for your comparative analysis.

As per Google:

“For example, if you’re researching trending dog breeds, up to eight search terms like ‘golden retriever’ or ‘beagle,’ will automatically populate the graph so you can easily compare them. The side panel will also show related ideas like ‘hypoallergenic dog breeds’ or ‘large dog breeds’ to help you dive deeper. Hover over a search term to edit it, or use the country, time and property filters to adjust the Trends timeline.”

Google Trends

So now, rather than having to come up with the right comparisons on your own, you can prompt Gemini for inspiration, which could give you more relevant context for your Trends reports.

Click HERE to read the remainder of the article

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Sourced from SocialMediaToday

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Is It Time to Kill All the Mascots?

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By Paul Blackburn

Cuddly octopi. Nodding dogs. Overly energetic bunnies. Brand mascots are everywhere, and they have been for as long as products and services have been advertised. Done well, they provide connection—a memorable and relatable human face, an endearing animal, or an amusing animation—for an otherwise faceless brand.

Yet too often, mascots are used without thinking. They’re seen as a shortcut for linking with an audience. At best this is a short-term investment; at worst it’s harmful to the brand. As 2026 starts, the creative industry should resolve to stop defaulting to mascots.

Maybe it’s time to kill them.

Mascot winners and losers

They’re not new. Initially used on packaging, they moved onto ads, and now they’re ever-present in social feeds. Tony the Tiger, the Michelin Man, Pilsbury’s Doughboy—mascots have been the foundation of the success of those brands, and of many more.

They do well in sports, often serving to attract children to teams and events. One of the most famous was Waldi, the Otl Aicher-designed dachshund that symbolized the 1972 Olympic Games. Every Games since has rolled out a new mascot character.

Yet, they’re not always successful, as anyone who remembers Microsoft’s ill-fated attempts to bring chirpy personality to its software with Clippy will attest. The animated paperclip from the ‘90s popped up at moments of maximum frustration, cheerily promising to “help.” It quickly became synonymous with problems that plagued the product.

Missed opportunities

However, this is an extreme example of a mascot causing damage to a brand. More often companies introduce mascots copying a market leader that has enjoyed success. This imitative approach to branding rarely succeeds.

Look at the U.K. energy market. In 2019, Octopus Energy introduced Constantine, a cuddly pink octopus. By 2025 it had become the largest energy supplier in the U.K. and was growing into Europe and Asia. The result? Almost every other British energy company has now introduced a mascot. The sector has become a crowded jumble of over-excited, colourful characters competing for attention. Many companies have spent significant sums on their mascots with questionable effect.

When rising firm So Energy asked us to update its identity, we avoided the mascot route. Instead, we developed a strategy, identity and communications that speak in a striking way to the issues facing energy buyers today. It reframes energy as bringing everyday joy, as opposed to a necessary chore. We used with a distinctive “Electric Yellow” palette, geometric iconography and a playful, straight-talking tone that stands out in the sector.

A New Year’s resolution

Energy is not the only industry where this is happening. Too often, the success one company has had with a mascot is slavishly followed by its competitors. Resources are wasted. Opportunities to build brands for the long-term are missed.

It’s up to us in the creative sector to lead our clients away from this. We know there are myriad other, often more powerful, tools at our disposal to achieve the connection and memorability our clients want when they come to us asking for a mascot.

We may not really want to kill the mascots. Indeed, some of them are undeniably successful and many are also quite cute. But let’s make 2026 the year we stop unthinkingly making them. Rather, let’s start giving our clients the creative solutions they deserve.

By Paul Blackburn

Paul Blackburn is the founder of Studio Blackburn. Read more…

Sourced from MUSE by CLIOS

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Is design becoming too safe?

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Nostalgia is replacing reinvention.

In the past year you will have seen many a big brand lean on nostalgia and heritage rather than radical reinvention. It feels like a retreat from bold and daring reinvention, as we snuggle up to nostalgia like a security blanket

Take the case of the poster child of this new-age caution in Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. In August 2025 the chain attempted to modernise a brand rooted in roadside American. Immediately it saw a tsunami of political and social-media uproar. Soulless … bland … lacking resonance. Not long later, the company quietly dumped the redesign and reinstated its classic 70s-era emblem featuring “Uncle Herschel” beside a barrel. Cracker Barrel serves as a costly lesson in caution, with Cracker Barrel’s market value briefly falling by about $100 million before rebounding when the old design returned.

The old Cracker Barrel logo with a barrel and old man and the more minimalist new Cracker Barrel logo side by side

(Image credit: Cracker Barrel)

A similar story has been unfolding at midmarket fashion label Vera Bradley. Long known for its quilted bags in florals and paisley, Vera Bradley launched a brand “refresh” in 2024 aimed at attracting younger buyers. This makeover downplayed the company’s signature prints in favour of solid colours and sleeker lines. But many loyal customers rebelled. By early 2026 the company announced a course correction and its new “Project Sunshine” pivot doubled down on the vintage florals that made the brand famous. The Wall Street Journal reported that Vera Bradley’s executives admitted they had “lost track of what made Vera Bradley special”. The brand reversed its own makeover and leaned into nostalgia, acknowledging that its heritage patterns were, perhaps, core to customer appeal.

Vera Bradley

(Image credit: Vera Bradley)

These high-profile U-turns indicate a broader motive. We exist in an age of political upheaval and economic uncertainty, and many companies seem to be betting on familiarity. Designers and marketers note that nostalgia isn’t just sentimentality – it’s a strategic comfort zone.

Brand Genetics, a human centred insight and innovation consultancy, argues that research shows that nostalgic branding provides comfort during uncertain times and this helps consumers feel familiar and trustworthy with a brand. Nostalgia creates continuity between past and present, acting as a psychological anchor for weary customers. Familiar cues, such as old logos, classic patterns act as anchors.

When the world feels unpredictable, a gool old logo and pattern on your breakfast cereal might, on some level, make you feel a little bit safer.

Brands also face a much-more immediate cautionary environment. Social media and 24/7 news cycles mean that even small design changes can spark big reactions, when the name of the game is click bait. A new logo can be framed as a woke political statement, and any misstep is magnified online. In Cracker Barrel’s case, just removing an old cartoon figure became ammunition for a culture war. That kind of instant, vocal feedback encourages companies to play it safe.

Logo for Jaguar

(Image credit: Jaguar)

Think of one of the most radical examples of not playing it safe, Jaguar’s EV pink explosion. Last month The Telegraph reported: “The designer behind Jaguar’s controversial “woke” rebrand has reportedly been dismissed from the carmaker just days after a new chief executive took over…”

Where does all this leave designers? Innovation still matters, but maybe it should be cautioned with authenticity. Be sure change is kept close to the client’s DNA. Strip away at your risk, be mindful around signature elements that customers love – the very things that can alienate the audience a rebrand seeks to excite. Think colours, patterns, characters or typography as an echo to remind people what they already loved.

For many brands, nostalgia has become a safe space to hide from the judgement of a volatile world. For designers, maybe it’s a reminder that rupture without purpose can be a big bang of hot air. So tread carefully, there are landmines in the market.

Feature image credit: Burger King/Pepsi

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Simon is a writer specialising in sustainability, design, and technology. Passionate about the interplay of innovation and human development, he explores how cutting-edge solutions can drive positive change and better lives.

Sourced from CREATIVE BLOQ

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ASICS taps ‘Good Vibrations’ for global campaign celebrating the mental lift of movement

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By Abbey Bamford

As running culture continues to grow in popularity, ASICS’ latest global campaign leans into joy and unexpected lightness, pairing everyday exercise with a classic Beach Boys soundtrack.

Running has rarely felt more culturally loaded, with many people sharing Strava screenshots on Instagram stories and attending running clubs at the weekends. In turn, we’ve seen a massive rise in “soft performance” sportswear and the simple act of moving has become as much about mental clarity as physical fitness.

This shift underpins ASICS’ new global brand campaign, Move Your Body, Move Your Mind, launching this week across digital, social, broadcast, and retail channels worldwide.

Created by independent creative agency AGIT8, the campaign places mood firmly at the centre of performance. While running brands of old might have pushed pace, PBs or elite athleticism, this film’s focus is on how movement can subtly, and sometimes unexpectedly, transform the way the world feels.

The running spot opens in the familiar setting of a woman mid-workday, desk-bound and visibly restless. She steps outside for a run and, as her feet hit the pavement, the world around her begins to hum along to Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys.

Commuters, café customers, a bus driver, and even a billboard join in, singing about her good energy as she moves through the city. Only at the end do we realise the chorus exists entirely in her head and is a by-product of a mind finally free to wander.

The same emotional logic runs through a sister tennis film, which explores how a match can lift mood and sharpen focus. Some might see movement as a chore or obligation, but this campaign positions it more as a reset button for the brain.

AGIT8 founder and creative director Gerry Human explains how the music choice was key to capturing that feeling. “It’s impossible not to feel good when you hear this classic Beach Boys track, just like the feeling you get when you move in ASICS,” he says.

The campaign is rooted in ASICS’ founding philosophy, as the brand’s name is an acronym for Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, or “Sound Mind in a Sound Body”. According to Gary Raucher, global head of marketing at ASICS, Move Your Body, Move Your Mind is about translating that belief into something more experiential and emotionally resonant.

“For over 75 years, ASICS has been committed to helping more people move so they can feel better,” he says. “It’s the reason we were founded and why we’re called ASICS.

“This campaign brings our founding principle to life in a way that inspires everyone to experience the uplifting power of movement, because when you move your body, you move your mind.”

As ASICS points out, there’s science behind the sentiment, too, with research suggesting that even 15 minutes of exercise can positively lift mental state. It just further reinforces the idea that movement doesn’t need to be extreme or time-consuming to have an impact.

In that sense, the campaign feels well-timed. As more people turn to running, tennis and everyday exercise as tools for stress management and mental wellbeing, brands are being challenged to respond with empathy rather than intensity.

Alongside the films, ASICS plans a series of community activations designed to encourage people to experience the mental benefits of movement first hand. While the landscape of motivational messaging in sportswear is no doubt crowded with ‘push harder’ and ‘feel better’, the tactic with Move Your Body, Move Your Mind is a little softer and much more human (with a little help from the Beach Boys).

By Abbey Bamford

Sourced from CREATIVE BOOM

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“Most pop-ups fail within 30 seconds. Here’s why”

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Pop-ups are increasingly important in a digitally-saturated world. StudioXAG’s Gemma Ruse explains the most common mistakes designers make on these projects, and how to avoid them.

I think pop-ups are brilliant.

At their best, they give brands permission to bring a story to life with real impact. Their impermanence allows ideas to be expressed in bold, dramatic and sometimes theatrical ways that would never make sense in a permanent space.

They are also powerful tools for connection. A chance to surprise and delight people in a physical environment that reaches places digital simply cannot.

As a huge advocate for the potential of pop-ups, I try to give every one I walk into the benefit of the doubt. But the truth is, many do not deliver.

More often than not, I can tell within the first 30 seconds whether something is going to work.

That judgement is not about whether a space looks expensive, or whether there is a queue outside. It comes from years of watching how people move through environments. Where they hesitate. What they ignore. What quietly frustrates them.

In my experience, pop-ups rarely fail because of bad ideas. They fail because of a small number of common and entirely avoidable mistakes.

Here are five I see again and again.

1. Underestimating execution, materials and build quality

The fastest way for a pop-up to fail is through poor execution. These issues trigger an instant, subconscious reaction that something is not quite right.

Bad sight lines, sloppy finishes and poorly fitted graphics are immediate credibility killers.

Materials pretending to be something they are not are another red flag. If the budget does not stretch to marble, do not use vinyl printed to look like marble.

Lighting matters just as much. Even inconsistent colour temperatures can undermine an otherwise strong idea.

Budgets and timelines are real constraints, and value engineering is part of the job. Simplifying with intention is very different from cutting corners. Every element contributes to how a brand is judged in those first 30 seconds.

The execution is the idea. Pop-ups may be temporary, but reputational damage is not. Once something is photographed, filmed and shared, it lives on.

2. Designing for an imagined customer

One of the quickest ways to lose people is to design for someone who is not actually going to be there.

This often happens when brands chase a coveted Gen Z audience, even though their most loyal customers are much older.

The result can feel like a parody of youth culture. Loud, performative and trend driven, yet oddly hollow.

Meanwhile, the people who genuinely care about the brand feel quietly alienated.

A pop-up should entice and engage the real consumer. It is not a mood board brought to life. It is a place where people are invited in, where they feel recognised, curious and welcome.

At its best, it becomes a space for experience and community, not just a backdrop for content.

Getting this right starts with observation. Market data helps, but designers also need to spend time in stores, watching who shows up, how they move, what they touch and what makes them linger. Those insights should shape the idea from the outset.

Designing with the consumer at the centre does not limit creativity. It gives it purpose.

3. Confusing visual busyness with engagement

Another fast way to lose attention is to throw too much at people and hope something sticks.

There is an assumption that screens, games and interactive moments automatically create engagement. In reality, visual busyness often overwhelms, especially when it is not rooted in a clear idea.

Certain gimmicks resurface again and again. Novelty without meaning rarely creates connection.

Just because something can be interacted with does not mean people want to.

True engagement comes from emotion. Surprise. Delight. A sense of being let in on something.

People linger when a moment feels considered or quietly unexpected, when the atmosphere invites them to slow down rather than rush through.

If you are adding bells and whistles, ask one question. Does this deepen the story, or is it simply filling space?

4. Treating the pop-up as a standalone moment

Pop-ups fall short when they feel disconnected from the wider brand world.

The strongest ones read like a chapter in an ongoing story, not a one-off stunt. They echo what is happening online, in windows or across the brand’s broader narrative.

When a space feels unrelated, people sense the disconnect immediately, even if they cannot articulate it.

Successful pop-ups are rooted in brand DNA. They borrow cues from product, tone of voice and visual language, then amplify them. The result is continuity and surprise. Familiar enough to be instantly understood, special enough to feel worth stepping into.

A pop-up does not need to shout to stand out, but it does need to belong.

5. Forgetting the online audience

We no longer design pop-ups just for the people standing inside them. We design them for the thousands, sometimes millions, who will experience them through a screen.

A single selfie corner is not enough.

For most people, pop-ups are encountered through photos, videos and POV content. That shift fundamentally changes how spaces need to be conceived.

Boldness and clarity travel better than visual fussiness. From arrival to exit, the entire journey needs to be worth capturing, allowing people to tell a complete story as they move through the space.

Online translation cannot be an afterthought. It has to be considered from the beginning, woven into the idea, the design, and the way the space is built and finished.

Design for the camera, without losing the magic in real life. Because in a screen-first world, the risk is not being un-Instagrammable. It is being forgettable.

What’s next?

Despite many pop-ups missing their potential, they are here to stay. If anything, they are becoming more important as physical experiences carry greater emotional weight in a digitally saturated world.

The most successful pop-ups will place greater emphasis on world building. They will offer moments of escape, depth and immersion.

Above all, they need a reason to exist.

To succeed, brands must be able to answer a simple question. Why this pop-up, and why now.

The purpose does not need to be lofty, but it does need to be honest. When that is clear, those first 30 seconds start working in your favour, rather than against you.

Feature image credit: Studio XAG’s Acne Studios Festive Campaign 2025, Taikoo Hui, Shanghai

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Gemma Ruse is co-founder and creative director at StudioXAG.

Sourced from Design Week

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Outshine The Competition With 7 Domains You Didn’t Know Existed

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By Mahlet Yared

There is nothing more valuable than a lasting first impression. Whether you have a blog, business, brand, or online community, capturing your audience’s attention in the first few seconds is more important than ever. Now, most people think about branding as a website’s content, such as graphics, but there’s a whole new world of customization out there in regards to website addresses that can help with branding.

Creative domain names are an alternative to traditional website addresses and an opportunity to make your website stand out in your industry. Who knew that the Internet had gotten so much bigger and now offers so much more choice! As the leader in this industry, Identity Digital helps brands, creative individuals, and entrepreneurs elevate their online presence with the world’s largest and most relevant portfolio of domain extensions.

Here are the top seven domain extensions you didn’t know could help you stand out online:

For Techies & Creative Entrepreneurs

.life

Mission-driven businesses, health and wellness gurus, and founders looking for a unique domain that speaks to the heart of their business should look no further than .life. This domain extension projects energy and conveys the impact on lives, enabling companies to communicate their vision to prospective customers quickly—for example, nurture.life.

For the Personal Finance Coach

.finance

If there is one industry that has boomed as a result of the Internet, it is the world of personal finance. Whether you’re offering tools people can use to make investments or your services as a personal finance coach for larger money goals, this domain extension can make your business stand out with a keyword to help get you in front of more eyes (e.g., northstar.finance).

For the Event Planner 

.events

There is an event planner for everyone’s unique vision or tool to help streamline your conference operations. .events can help connect you with the people looking for your services (think ticketing.events). It has the perfect balance of keeping you open to serve many kinds of events while standing out from similarly named businesses.

For the Local Pizza Spot

.pizza

We all have a local pizza spot we wish would get more attention online. The food is delicious, customer service is excellent, and it’s family-owned, but more people need to learn that it exists. Building a website with .pizza, such as marios.pizza, can help a new online business stand out.

For the Travel Company or Vlogger

.travel

This one is perfect for the travel content creator or tour guide company finally ready to make that website. For example, adventures.travel. People already associate your name with travel, so make it that much easier for them to find you online with this extension.

For the House Flipper

.properties

When you see a property, you see potential, and you’ve turned disasters into turn-key homes. Showcase your portfolio of flipped homes or vacation rentals with a URL ending in .properties, such as boltfarm.properties, and establish yourself as a critical player in the real estate market.

For the Freelance Consultant

.consulting

Turn your side hustle into a full-blown freelancing business with .consulting in your URL (e.g., ssl.consulting). Let people know you are open for business and offering your expertise as a consultant by bringing your work to the eyes of more potential clients.

Feature image credit: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

By Mahlet Yared

Sourced from Blavity

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Visibility Creates Opportunity: How Lawyers Build Trust, Authority, And Growth

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By Steve Fretzin

In this session, I sat down with Colleen Joyce, CEO of Lawyer.com, to talk about how today’s most successful lawyers build strong practices in a crowded and competitive marketplace.

The conversation was not about fixing lawyers or calling out shortcomings. It was about recognizing how capable attorneys can elevate their visibility and communicate their value more clearly so the right clients can find them.

Branding: Turning Legal Excellence Into Market Recognition 

Colleen shared a simple truth. Exceptional legal work deserves to be seen. Branding helps ensure that prospective clients, referral partners, and decision makers understand who you are and how you help.

Clients today do their homework. They research, read, watch, and listen before reaching out. Branding allows lawyers to shape that experience intentionally. It is not about being loud or flashy. It is about being clear, consistent, and credible.

We discussed how branding supports trust before the first conversation ever happens. When lawyers communicate their focus, values, and experience effectively, they attract clients who are already aligned and ready to engage.

Diagnosis First: Creating Better Conversations and Better Client Fit

One of the most powerful ways lawyers elevate their practices is by leading with thoughtful questions. Colleen and I talked about how taking time to understand a client’s situation creates stronger outcomes for everyone involved.

When lawyers focus on discovery first, they gain clarity around goals, expectations, and fit. That clarity protects time, improves communication, and leads to more productive engagements. It also reinforces the lawyer’s role as a trusted advisor rather than a commodity.

This approach aligns naturally with professionalism, confidence, and long term relationship building.

Visibility Plus Talent: A Formula for Sustainable Growth 

Legal talent is the foundation. Visibility is the bridge that connects that talent to opportunity. Colleen emphasized that consistent visibility allows lawyers to reinforce their expertise over time and stay top of mind with the people who matter most.

Marketing and branding, when done with intention, support reputation rather than replace it. They help lawyers share insights, demonstrate leadership, and build familiarity without pressure or sales tactics. When visibility and skill work together, growth becomes more predictable and sustainable.

The legal profession is filled with talented, dedicated professionals doing meaningful work. Branding and visibility simply ensure that this work is recognized and remembered. For lawyers who want to grow thoughtfully, serve better clients, and build long term success, clarity and consistency are powerful tools.

Watch the full video here.

Feature image credit: Getty Images

By Steve Fretzin

Steve Fretzin is a bestselling author, host of the “Be That Lawyer” podcast, and business development coach exclusively for attorneys. Steve has committed his career to helping lawyers learn key growth skills not currently taught in law school. His clients soon become top rainmakers and credit Steve’s program and coaching for their success. He can be reached directly by email at [email protected]. Or you can easily find him on his website at www.fretzin.com or LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin.

Sourced from Above the Law

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Why Leaders Can’t Fake Authenticity In The Age Of Social Media

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By William Arruda

People can spot a fake from a mile away. Building an engaged audience isn’t about putting on a persona or pursuing polished perfection. It’s about authentic branding. Aura farming, the practice of curating a highly stylized persona that’s disconnected from reality, is flooding social platforms, and it’s starting to experience a backlash. The term went viral after many celebrities began appearing a little too perfect in their online posts. Travis Kelce, for example, participated in a TikTok trend showcasing highly stylized, meme-worthy vibes. While playful and entertaining, this approach can backfire when you try to create a persona solely to capture attention rather than build trust. What grabs viewers’ attention quickly typically loses credibility just as fast.

Why Authenticity Matters More Than Ever

SEO agency Studio 36 explains it this way. “Consumers, particularly Gen Z, are hyper-aware of authenticity. They can tell when a persona is engineered solely for engagement, which risks eroding trust instead of building it.” At its core, personal and corporate branding have always been about authenticity. In the age of AI, that foundation is even more important. AI can easily generate a shiny, manufactured persona and produce attention-grabbing content at scale. But attention is not the same as emotional connection, and it doesn’t inspire enduring trust. Sure, it’s tempting to take on an AI-generated perfect persona or engage in aura farming, but it won’t help you reach your goals. Being real will. A 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer report revealed that 65% of consumers would stop buying from a brand if they felt it was inauthentic online. For leaders, that makes inauthenticity a business risk.

Trying to farm a vibe is tempting because there’s so much noise online. It’s becoming more challenging to stand out and get noticed. Aura farming could get you some short-term notoriety, but research tells us that it’s unlikely to translate into ongoing, meaningful engagement. Fake personas see 25–30% lower retention on content engagement than authentic storytelling, according to a 2024 Influencer Marketing Hub study. Brands that are perceived as genuine grow community loyalty twice as fast over 12 months, even if their social content isn’t “meme-perfect.”

Aura Farming Is The Opposite Of Authenticity

Aura farming may seem fun and innocuous, but it can negatively impact your brand. It comes with a lot of challenges:

  • Confusion. Trying to mimic viral trends can take you away from what’s real and create confusion among the members of your audience.
  • Short-Lived Attention. Meme-driven hype fades quickly, leaving little long-term impact. You get a spike of engagement, which feels exciting. Then, people move on, and you’re forgotten.
  • Public Scepticism. Audiences can detect inauthenticity and often publicly call out contrived content. That gives you the wrong kind of brand visibility. In the age of AI, real, human connection is what builds confidence.

Brands Should Create An Experience Based In Authenticity Instead Of An Artificial Aura

Being real is the most important of 17 personal branding trends for 2026. But being authentic doesn’t mean ignoring social media trends altogether. It’s about integrating content that aligns with your mission, humanizes your brand, and engages your audience consistently. Short-term virality can be fun, but long-term loyalty comes from values, transparency, vulnerability, and relatability. “Brands that invest in a real digital aura, not a manufactured one, will see better engagement, higher trust, and sustainable growth,” said Digital Marketing Expert Andrew Witts from Studio 36. He advises businesses to focus on five authentic, sustainable strategies:

1. Define Your Brand Mission and Values

You need a solid foundation on which to build your communications. Don’t chase every trend. Know and communicate what your brand genuinely stands for. Brand clarity creates consistency, which is the key to building brand connection and loyalty.

2. Showcase Relatable Human Stories

User-generated content, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and employee perspectives resonate more than staged imagery. Real people outperform perfect visuals when it comes to building credibility and emotional connection.

3. Align Social Content with Your Area of Expertise, Product, or Service

Everything you publish online should reinforce your core message rather than mimic virality. Put your content through a brand test and rework content that feels off-brand.

4. Engage Consistently, Not Opportunistically

Regular, honest engagement builds trust. Sporadic meme hijacking risks backlash that could tarnish your brand. Every post should reinforce what you’re known for, not chase what’s trending.

5. Measure Engagement Beyond Likes

Retention and sentiment are the signs of loyalty. Likes only reveal a passing interest. Although it’s tempting to publish content where the like-ometer increases rapidly in real-time, those likes will be forgotten just as quickly as they accumulated.

Be Real. Authenticity Is The Key To Genuine Engagement

Authenticity is no longer optional. Audiences, employees, and clients can tell when a brand is performing instead of being real, and the cost is trust. Personal branding consultant Bhavik Sarkhedi put it this way, “I’ve seen this up close, and I genuinely believe manufactured personas work like credit, you get attention now and pay for it later with lost trust. Authentic branding is cash: slower to build, but it never defaults. The strongest personal brands don’t spike for a moment; they quietly compound over time.” Engage in regular, on-brand communications. Leaders who resist the urge to chase trends and instead commit to clarity, consistency, and connection will build brands that create deeper, more emotional relationships. That type of connection far outlasts the social media fad du jour.

Feature image credit: Getty

By William Arruda

Find William Arruda on LinkedIn. Visit William’s website.

William Arruda is a keynote speaker, author, and personal branding pioneer. He speaks on branding, leadership, and AI. Watch his AI-Powered Personal Branding Session to learn more about the intersection of AI and personal branding.

Sourced from Forbes

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