From Titles to Purpose: Shifting Mental Models for a New Era of Meaning

Why moving beyond job titles, product labels, and siloed roles is essential for building resilient, future-fit brands and identities.

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🌍 I. Introduction: Rethinking What We Think We Know

We are trained to think in boxes. Artist. Engineer. Shampoo. Toothpaste. Bank. But as the world changes rapidly, these rigid categories are cracking open. The boundaries that once defined a product, profession, or platform are shifting toward what it enables.

This isn’t just a linguistic update—it’s a profound mental model shift. The narrative is no longer “what we do” or “what we sell,” but “what we are a part of” and “what we make possible.”

In this edition of Code Uncovered, we explore how breaking free from narrow identifiers opens up new business models, cultural relevance, and emotional meaning for brands and individuals alike.

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At Pakt, we don’t just decode cultures—we help reshape mental models. Through cross-cultural strategy, semiotics, and sensory design, we guide brands to move beyond static categories and into meaningful roles within people’s lives.

We don’t start with “what you are” but with “what you enable.”

From narrative positioning to product experience, we ensure every brand touchpoint echoes the same ethos, is relevant across cultures, is emotionally intelligent, and is strategically resonant.

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Previous newsletters on this topic to enhance your understanding:

• From Ownership to Access: Redefining the Language of "Buying" in Brand Narratives

• Reframing Brand Meanings: How Redefining Core Messages Transforms Brands and Industries

• Unlocking Future Potential: Decoding Emerging Narratives

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🧠 II. Mental Model Shifts in Action

Let’s look at eight powerful examples demonstrating how this shift unfolds across categories, professions, and practices.

Services:

🏦 Banks → Everyday Enablers

Brands like Chime, Monzo, and Revolut have moved beyond offering products like loans and savings accounts. They now position themselves as everyday financial allies—helping people live paycheck-to-paycheck with dignity, manage unexpected bills, or even feel smart about their money for the first time.

📚 Libraries → Community Knowledge Hubs

Forget the hush-hush reading rooms. Today’s libraries host podcast studios, coding clubs, maker labs, and language cafés. They’re not just about books—they’re platforms for community creation, local learning, and real-world problem-solving.

Products:

👟 Shoes → Posture Technology

Brands like Vivobarefoot have disrupted the shoe category by questioning the very idea of cushioning and support. Their shoes are sold not for fashion or comfort alone, but for reconnecting people to their bodies, posture, and nature, with claims backed by biomechanical science.

🪥 Toothpaste → Wellness Ritual

Once merely a hygiene product, toothpaste is now a star in morning rituals. Premium brands like Marvis, Aesop, and Hismile use scent, taste, texture, and packaging to signal self-care, luxury, and lifestyle alignment—not just dental health.

Brands:

💻 Notion → User as Creator, Not Note-Taker

Notion didn’t just redesign productivity tools—it reshaped what it means to organise knowledge. Its users build their workflows, dashboards, and systems, turning everyone from students to CEOs into digital architects.

🧱 LEGO → Parent as Play Facilitator

LEGO campaigns now appeal less to children and more to their parents’ aspirational identity. It’s not just a toy—a bonding ritual, a creative escape, and a moment of quality time. The parent is no longer just a buyer but an active co-creator of play.

People:

👨🏻‍🍳 Massimo Bottura → From Chef to Cultural Diplomat

The Michelin-starred Italian chef’s nonprofit Food for Soul reframes the role of a chef from culinary artist to social innovator. His food waste projects, community kitchens, and cultural commentary reimagine gastronomy as a form of social responsibility.

🤳🏼 Emma Chamberlain → From Influencer to Cultural Curator

What started as relatable vlogs turned into a quiet rebellion against influencer perfection. Emma Chamberlain’s candid, minimalist, and oddly calming aesthetic repositions her not just as a content creator but as a curator of mood, identity, and self-awareness in digital life.

🔑 Key Takeaway:

The evolution of these examples illustrates a profound shift—from rigid categories to dynamic contributions. When brands and individuals anchor their identity in what they enable rather than what they are, they unlock cultural relevance, emotional resonance, and long-term adaptability. This is not just brand storytelling—it’s systemic redefinition.

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