Have you noticed how the word ‘taste’ is suddenly popping up everywhere in marketing?

Across many retail segments, consumers are increasingly gravitating toward brands with a clear point of view. As AI lowers the barrier to producing imagery, copy and creative concepts, shoppers are becoming increasingly adept at recognising when a brand feels generated rather than genuinely considered. This has led to renewed value on the human judgment behind the product.

More than aesthetics, taste reflects discernment. This has become especially evident, as every decision, from product development to partnerships, retail strategy, storytelling and creative direction, is now often filtered through the same point of view.

Which is exactly why taste has become one of the strongest forms of brand equity.

Brands with a genuine sense of taste create consistency across every single consumer touchpoint.

Product development, storytelling, retail experiences, collaborations, social media, customer service, shipping materials and campaign creatives all reinforce the same worldview. Nothing feels disconnected because every decision is guided by a shared philosophy rather than a collection of trends.

For example, Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Beauty is often recognised for its minimalist aesthetic, but the brand’s greater strength is the consistency of the ecosystem surrounding it.

Its product concepts, collaborations, retail experiences, founder-led storytelling and communications belong to the same recognisable world. Even as the company has expanded from skincare into color cosmetics and physical retail, it has maintained a crystal-clear perspective rather than reinventing itself with each new category or channel.

Consumers may not consciously evaluate each of these elements, but they recognise when everything feels aligned.

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