We live in an era that increasingly values immediate gratification over sustained fulfillment. As David Brooks notes in his recent New York Times opinion piece, our culture has evolved to prioritize distractions—small, momentary hits—over meaningful engagement.
Importantly, the societal challenge is larger than marketing, creators and the entertainment we consume on TikTok or Instagram…. It’s about how our human capacity to pursue deeper, lasting rewards is gradually eroding.
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Not surprisingly, dopamine plays a pivotal role in this dynamic. Research neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, a professor at Stanford University, has conducted demonstrates dopamine is about more than short-term pleasure: it’s also the fuel that underpins our ambition, drive and long-term focus. When we anticipate being on the right path to achieving our goals, dopamine increases our energy and sharpens our focus, propelling us forward. And sustained release of dopamine can keep us engaged and motivated for hours…. Sometimes even days.
Yet, there’s a delicate balance to be struck. Huberman’s research has also demonstrated that dopamine peaks—the exhilarating highs we experience when we succeed—are often followed by a drop below our baseline. The more intense the high, the greater the fall. So we’re left seeking our next hit, potentially endlessly caught in a loop of feeling empty and unfulfilled followed by chasing our next big reward. Importantly, the intense focus that dopamine drives sometimes narrows our thinking, stifling our creativity and reducing our ability to see new possibilities and solve challenges.
So, are we effectively using dopamine’s potential to pursue deeper, more meaningful goals, or are we trapping ourselves by chasing quick, short-term rewards that leave us wanting more?
Brands, too, face this dilemma. Are brand leaders pursuing easy metrics—likes, views, fast sales—or are they genuinely seeking to build trust, enrich lives, and forge enduring emotional connections?
Purpose-led marketing goes beyond tapping into short-lived desires. It invites brands to become more meaningful in people’s lives, aligning with their higher goals and values. Brands that succeed at this are those that understand the long arc of connection…. Just as in life, true fulfillment comes from growth, trust and meaningful relationships sustained over time.
I strongly believe we have an opportunity to use dopamine’s powerful potential to inspire curiosity, drive creativity and encourage sustained engagement, rather than simply settle for quick fixes. In a world of geopolitical chaos and entertaining distractions, perhaps it’s the uncertainty and stress of modern life that is making us seek these fleeting hits, not dopamine itself.
So, the question remains: Are we willing to take the more challenging path—the one that builds something meaningful, sustainable, and deeply human?
Contributed to Branding Strategy Insider by: Anne Bahr Thompson, Author Do Good, Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit.
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