Context Adds Value

In last night’s debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, a key moment that stood out wasn’t about policy—it was about context. Harris shared advice her mother once gave: “We didn’t just fall out of a coconut tree; we exist in the context of all that came before us.” While this article isn’t about the debate, it highlights an important idea for marketers: context shapes how we experience everything, including brands.

The Power of Context in Marketing and Branding

Products don’t exist in a vacuum—they thrive or fail based on the context in which they’re placed. Virgil Abloh once said that a candle in a garage can be seen as garbage, but in a museum, it’s art. Creatives can either sell a product or design the entire experience around it. The context in which something is presented has the power to elevate it far beyond its function.

Andy Warhol mastered this concept, too. He took ordinary objects like Campbell’s soup cans and placed them in a gallery, forcing people to engage with them differently. The same product that’s overlooked in a supermarket suddenly becomes iconic in a different setting.

For marketers, this means the value of a product is not just what it does, but the story, environment, and experience that surround it.

Spotify: Adding Context to Music

A modern example of context in action is Spotify. It doesn’t just give users access to millions of songs—it curates experiences. Whether it's a playlist for a workout or a mood, Spotify adds value by shaping when and how the music is enjoyed. The context becomes just as important as the product itself, turning songs into moments.

Takeaways

1. The value of a product is amplified by the context in which it’s experienced, as shown by Virgil Abloh’s approach to design and Andy Warhol’s recontextualization of everyday items.
2. Platforms like Spotify show that offering products isn’t enough—crafting a personalized, contextual experience is key to making them meaningful.