Anatomy

Discover our latest news and events

How emotion works in brand building and why it’s so effective for place brands

How emotion works in brand building and why it’s so effective for place brands 

Emotions are central to the human experience. They help shape perceptions, guide decisions, and influence what we remember. All essential for effective brand building. But why? Emotions help us make quick, intuitive choices in the moment, by simplifying things (good/bad, approach/avoid, safe/risky). They interact with our core beliefs, opinions, memories and experiences to help us reach decisions rapidly. More often than not, we choose based on feeling rather than methodically analysing features.

Insight

Animating infrastructure: Building understanding through motion

Animation plays a central role in community engagement for complex infrastructure because it converts systems-level information into something people can process quickly and accurately. Infrastructure projects involve sequencing, temporary states, interfaces, and constraints that are difficult to explain through reports or static plans. Animation turns these layers into a visual logic people can follow.

Insight

Why storytelling sticks and why it matters

We are hardwired for stories but why do we love them so much? From Dave in the pub, to your nan, to the literary greats, they are how we communicate and connect.

Insight

UKREiiF 2025: What Actually Counts

By the end of UKREiiF, after more events, panels and drinks parties than we can recollect, we were pretty shattered. What a week it was though - packed with great conversations, reconnecting with familiar faces and meeting new people. We were thrilled to design the Thames Estuary Growth Board stand, which became the ideal spot for meaningful discussions and exploring how communities can genuinely benefit from growth.

Insight

The biases cheat sheet for brand strategy

The biases cheat sheet for brand strategy

Insight

Top 5 Liveable Cities

Top 5 Liveable Cities

Insight

Branding works because we are lazy; how brands get stuck in your brain.

Branding works because we are lazy; how brands get stuck in your brain.

Insight

‘Chaos & crochet’

Why we got more creative during the pandemic.

Insight

London needs a new great spaces programme to remain a world city

London needs a new great spaces programme to remain a world city

Insight

Dreaming in concrete

Dreaming in concrete

Insight

Creative for pay

Neuro tips on how to generate more ideas and smash through the block

Insight

Place branding drives change and creates social value

Looking at resilient places, one thing they demonstrate is a clear sense of self. While there will be plenty of other factors that make them a success – reputation, identity, proposition, personality, or whatever you want to call it – plays a part.

Insight