Apr 24, 2025
Building Global Brand Experiences with Inessah Selditz
In this Futurespaces conversation, creative executive Inessah Selditz took us on a dynamic deep dive into the evolving world of brand experience. Drawing on more than a decade of work with companies like Microsoft, Netflix, Nike, and Rockwell Group, she shared frameworks, strategies, and lessons learned from crafting everything from permanent architectural spaces to pop-up cultural activations.
Here are some key takeaways from her talk:
Think Beyond Branding: Brand experience is not just branding—it’s about creating holistic environments that win people’s time, attention, and affection, often competing not just with other brands but with everyday life itself.
Build Internal Alignment Early: Before creating the “external” experiences, strong internal frameworks—clear narratives, positioning, and differentiation—must be in place to guide every decision.
Craft Meaningful Differentiation: Whether working on a Caribbean resort or an urban observation deck, success comes from finding and articulating the white space—what makes the experience distinct and meaningful to visitors.
Reverse Engineer the Journey: Start with the emotional or cognitive state you want visitors to feel at the peak moment of the experience, then work backward to design every touchpoint and transition.
Stay Sketch-Level and Iterate Quickly: Great experiential design isn’t about immediate perfection—it’s about fast, thoughtful iteration. Stay scrappy, story-driven, and flexible as you test ideas.
Pull Quotes from Inessah:
“Experiences aren’t just competing with each other—they’re competing with your couch and TikTok.”
“If you don’t build a clear internal framework first, you’re just throwing spaghetti at the wall during design.”
“Brand experience should create emotional arcs, not just pretty spaces. People remember how you made them feel, not just what you built.”
Inessah’s reflections were packed with practical tools, inspiring examples (from Bahamar to Hudson Yards), and a candid look at how brand experiences can create real human connection in a noisy world.
Want to hear the full talk and see examples of her world-building process in action?