TL;DR Websites, social ads, and tones of voice for up-and-coming startups are starting to feel interchangeable. Breaking the mold is a certain kind of risk, but continuing down the path of sameness is a greater one. It’s time to imagine differently.
94
of employees believe moral leadership
is in urgend demand — compared to 86% in 2020.
Source: 2026 State of Moral Leadership in Business, The HOW Institute for Society
Chaos begets change.
I recently finished the second and final book in Octavia Butler’s Parable series, Parable of the Talents, set in a dystopian 2032 that hits way too close to home. Think: towns sponsored by corporations, an evil orange tyrant man, and a make America great again slogan. She wrote these books in the 90s.
Afrofuturism and speculative fiction in general is a valuable resource. Writing it, reading it, thinking and talking about it — there be untapped power (and sometimes dragons).
For me, it’s an exercise in hope.
We have more power than we think we do.
If you can’t imagine it, you can’t create it after all.
Today, whether we’re talking Big Tech, politics, or mainstream propaganda I mean media there’s a whole army of players working to ensure we only imagine the future they envision.
And yet, none of it is predetermined.
In what feels like a parallel lack of imagination, I’ve noticed that the websites for up and coming startups I keep tabs on — mainly in healthcare, tech, and finance — kind of all blend together now. Their tones of voice could be transferable. And their social ads feel more like boxes checked than surprise and delight. Even for brands and products I’m energized by.
Perhaps it’s a combination of the new normal, an over-reliance on AI, and a tired growth marketing playbook, but to survive long-term, something’s got to give. We’ve got to get better at answering the so what? Why me? Why you? What next?
Breaking the mold is a certain type of risk, which can be hard to sell in to senior leadership. But surely the risk of continuing down the current path of sameness is greater.
Brand longevity matters too, right?
In January, VML launched its Future 100: 2026 trend report touting “dysoptimistic” as the word of the year. It has since been replaced by “metamorphic” on the main report page, but I like how coauthors Emma Chiu and Marie Stafford first explained it, saying:
"
“Dysoptimism highlights that as old systems crumble, individuals, communities, and innovators are building new, human-centered solutions. It’s about
designing for a better future, not just wishing for the past.”
At a Futures of Design Unconference hosted by Women In Innovation (WIN), we workshopped what future spaces, both digital and material, could look like if designed through a feminine perspective.
I came away reminded of our imaginations’ wonderful ability to create space.
Marketing reflects, moves, and shapes culture. None of us are off the hook. This is our work.
Ultra Violet, a trend forecasting agency focused on women’s health and femtech, invites us to imagine a femtech-driven 2035 across four key trends.
"
Imagine if…
“In 2035, patriarchal WASP forms of expression will be a thing of the past as society will have shifted to become more culturally diverse and historically rooted…Technology will have a symbiotic relationship with the planet…”
—On Techno Naturalism, one of four trends forecasted in FemTech Futures 2035
Can you picture it?
If yes, great — how do we build toward it? If not, what DO you picture?
I encourage you to try the exercise:
- What do you imagine for your brand, product, or vertical in 2035?
- What world are you helping to usher in?
- What conversations will you be part of?
- What / how / to whom will you sell?
- What content will you create?
- What communities will you support?
Perhaps it will create space for you to solve today’s challenges.
Let’s replace the “if you build it, they will come” mentality with “if we imagine and build it together, we can make it so.”
As for the tech bros, I imagine they feel the earth rumbling under their feet. Change is coming.
As always, if you need help rewriting or imagining the future of your brand, I’d love to tap in. Email me here. Please also feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
And don’t forget to subscribe to Fresh Ink for quarterly brand strategy insights and more delivered to your inbox.
Thanks for reading! I hope you find some joy today.