Rhetoric and the Art of Connection in Branding

With guest speaker John Bowe

Jasmine Bina
Concept Bureau Insights
2 min readNov 28, 2023

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Language has the special capacity to express a brand in ways that visual design or UX cannot. Strategic language doesn’t merely communicate, it connects.

At the intersection of human psychology and language, where the right words can change how we experience each other and the world, something magical happens.

It’s not storytelling or copywriting.

It’s the art of rhetoric.

Rhetoric is a toolkit for genuine connection, and it’s based on the rules and conventions that govern each person’s ability to understand.

In our newest Talks at Concept Bureau, Rhetoric Will Save Your Soul: The Art of Connection In Brand Strategy and Everyday Life”, author and speech expert John Bowe opens up the world of rhetoric and shows us how persuasion is borne of certain invisible rules, captured in the teachings of Aristotle and proven over and over again throughout history.

In this talk he discusses:

  • The 3 cardinal rules of speaking
  • How people qualify authenticity
  • The pillars of effective rhetoric: Logos (facts), Pathos (emotions) and most importantly, Ethos (character)

For leaders and brands, rhetoric is the scaffolding that builds a compelling argument but few people actually study it.

If you want to move people, you need to start with the hidden laws of human connection. Everyone wants to be understood. Everyone wants to know how you or your brand will make them happy.

Rhetoric is how you get there.

Watch the full video here:

The next step in branding.

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Jasmine Bina
Concept Bureau Insights

Cultural Futurist and Strategist. I'm the CEO of Concept Bureau (www.conceptbureau.com) and Co-Founder of Exposure Therapy (https://www.exposuretherapy.com/)