What’s the Vibe Here? Decode Your Brand's Emotional Signal

A lot of brands don’t have a messaging problem. They have a perception problem.

They say “trustworthy,” the audience hears “boring.”

They say “disruptive,” the audience hears “trying too hard.”

They say “premium,” the audience hears “overpriced.”

This session is about that gap. The space between what brands think they’re communicating and what customers feel. That’s where vibe lives. And that’s where meaning is made (or lost).

In this hands-on session, I'll show you how to decode your brand’s emotional signal, identify where your message is getting scrambled, and use a simple structure to design how your brand feels—not just what it says.

You’ll learn:

• Why so many brand vibes fall flat (and how to spot it early).
• How to move from functional sameness to emotional resonance.
• A clear framework for mapping brand perception... before the market does it for you.
• How to test your own brand’s vibe in under 10 minutes.

Whether you’re building from scratch or trying to stay relevant, you’ll leave with sharper tools to build trust, signal identity, and create a brand people feel—not just tolerate.

We’ll be moving fast and getting hands-on, so bring your laptop, tablet, phone—whatever you’ve got. You’ll be using AI tools live to test, refine, and sharpen your brand’s emotional signal in real time.

Nate Sowder is an innovation strategist and AI adoption leader at Fifth Third Bank, where he helps teams use emerging technology to think sharper, move faster, and communicate with clarity. He also serves as an Executive in Residence at Cintrifuse and an Entrepreneur in Residence at The Entrepreneurs Center in Dayton, where he mentors startups on how to become enterprise-ready.

Nate was named the 2025 AI Catalyst Award winner at Cincy AI Week and received the 2024 Social Impact Award from The Circuit for his work driving meaningful change across enterprise and startup ecosystems. His approach blends systems thinking, behavioral psychology, and AI to help organizations of all sizes build better strategies.

Event Notes:

• This is a HYBRID event! After you register for the event, you will receive the Zoom login information via email -or- you are encouraged to attend in person at OfficeKey Rookwood, 4030 Smith Road, Suite 200, Cincinnati, OH 45209. Lunch will be served.
• All are welcome at our Digital Marketing & Technology meetings, which are typically held on the second Wednesday of the month. You do not have to be an AMA member to attend.

AMA Cincinnati’s Digital Marketing & Technology Community explores today’s digital environment, including email marketing, online advertising, web design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), mobile marketing, social media, and more.

Facilitated by Jeff Hendrickson, each monthly session hosts a subject matter expert sharing the latest and greatest in digital marketing and technology. You’ll not only be increasing your skill set and bringing valuable knowledge to your work, but you’ll engage with an amazing network of Cincinnati-based Marketing pros who love to share their experience. With topics applicable to B2B, B2C, and nonprofits, Marketers from all career stages and organization sizes, both AMA members and guests, are welcome to attend.

AMA Cincinnati is built on community. No matter where you are in your career or what area of marketing you specialize in, AMA brings marketers together to build relationships, solve marketplace challenges, and create invaluable networks. We provide opportunities for marketers and related professionals across industries, businesses, functions, and career levels to learn, teach, job search, recruit, network, promote, contribute, and practice.

Learn more at AMACincinnati.org

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