VALUE.
Value in Art. In product. In Everything.
CULTII. Our Brand. [my shit.]
Ppl do not understand value. They do not understand what makes a person, thing, have “value.” They do not understand economic value, therefore they become scared, too scared to try. They see larger entities as huge, big, fucking enormous, they cannot bring themselves to even begin to defeat their enemy. But when we look close, we begin to see that the walls are not everything we thought. Appearances are illusion. Follow the economics.
Value is economic value. The word “economic” is dangerous. Many do not understand it. Value is 50% concrete, 50% psychological. A product has a tangible utility, also an emotional meaning. We are controlled by our emotion as much as our logic.
A car has a hard value. It can transport you places easily. It has an air conditioner, metal parts, glass, stereo system, you can sleep in it, et cetera. Also, psychological value. One may want to be seen driving a certain type of car, makes them seem cool, clever, smarter, rich, established. or wholesome. Clout in both directions.
Psychological appearance is what makes ppl freeze. They cannot even begin to fathom how powerful Disney or xyz company is. [or xyz rockstar.] They cannot begin to realize the bigness, clout, power, what-have-you. They don’t even try. They stay small forever, no plans of growth, strategy. Hiding the Soul in the sand.
DINU [shitcoin] chart, Dexscreener [DEGEN chain]
One thing I’ve learned from crypto research is the ability to see the raw data of value on a chart. The financial economics of a chart enables unfiltered visualization of value on a timescale, in price. It is helpful to view things this way.
Let’s say that a rockstar that we look up to launches a [crypto] coin. What is likely to happen is that coin will spike up in value due to launch hype. Very quickly it will drop in value as ppl sell it off. When users buy something and hold it, price goes up. As they sell, price drops. So in these hype cycles the thing launches due to big noise from marketing and the price soars. Traders then sell very quickly to retail and users who are buying due to the excitement and high price on the chart, which then drops the price. Due to little or no functionality, the asset soon drops to near-zero and goes sideways for a long while.
It then either dies or gets a resurgence if there is another hype cycle [bull market] and due to euphoria and spam-marketing, the price can gain a second spike, which then gets sold fairly quickly as users get sucked in to the price rising.
[What this says, is the value has no loyalty.]
Traders and market participants are using the excitement for their own gain. Value is very fickle. Whatever fame or power you thought the rockstar had isn’t really there. Users have their own agenda. The coin does nothing other than get used to create a transfer of money from weak to smarter hands.
Without utility, we can see that the emotional value of a rockstar, entity, is fairly weak. There is long term value in certain companies of course, who hold their value, which is connected to their products and strategy. But rockstars in general are based on hype or trends unlike entities who have stronger long-term concrete value.
Louis Vuitton [LVMH] high tops [2019]
[could a rockstar or influencer have more value. yes.]
If their company releases products of solid or Great value to the World, they increase their concrete value. The value will stay longer if their Brand [IP] also holds value long-term. There is much more promise of Tesla stock holding value than a coin based on a politician. Politicians are unpredictable. The most advanced car company in the World has more tangible value.
[what about psychological value. Yes.]
It is difficult in comprehension, as it is based on emotion. Emotions have a spectrum. Shallow emotion has a weaker bond, deeper emotion has a stronger bond. This is why entities like Louis Vuitton have such a strong premium, as well as a loyal Cult following. They do not use shallow emotion in their ads or aesthetic. They selectively and actively evoke and connect with the audience based on emotional depth.
The Boy and the Heron. Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli. [2023]
A level further would be Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli. The value of their IP is extremely high, although they do not extract from it as much as LVMH. Because of the deep emotional nature of Miyazaki’s filmmaking, ppl are moved to tears. [myself included.] The emotional debt and appreciation which one has for being moved and having your life changed so deeply is infinite in price. It is like Love. Real emotion counts. It is easy to leave someone you have no real feelings for. Once you begin to connect deeper, the pain seeps in as you step away. Bonds are stronger than you think. This is why individuals have no feelings for you, if you separate from them, it is because your connection was weak. It takes time, order, depth, sacrifice, courage. To make the bonds complete. Most ppl who think they have friends really don’t have friends at all. It is all for appearances. Takes time to learn.
This is why emotional or psychological value is much more difficult to understand. What ppl say and what they feel in their heart are different. If you play a game, they play a game. Soon you realize everything around you is a game. No one really gives a shit about you, because you haven’t actually connected. No one really knows your Heart. Brands are like this. This is why you always give as much emotion as possible, deep emotion, from your heart, as often as possible. Realistically. It makes ppl fall in love. Creates value. It moves others. No one gives a fuck about your aesthetic. It provides no fucking value to anyone. They want to feel something. An ancient power called Love. Songs are like incantation, they control and process the dynamics of the spirit. If you don’t give your Heart to others, they will feel nothing of you. They only say they do. Behind the words, emptiness. You must fill it with your Spirit. Takes tremendous sacrifice. People don’t understand, the strength it takes. Grand, emotional strength. They truly put on an act. The human Heart can tell, of this. In Japanese we call this “kokoro.” It is of your Spirit. Deep within, internally. Not some shallow piece of shit.
The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness. [2013]
[Does this mean this translates into price. Yes, and no.]
The potential for value is always there, if the emotion is there. But there still must be structure to it. Meaning, if you never make the effort, others will not feel the efforts from you. Earlier I mentioned that Ghibli does not create marketing around their IP as intensely as LVMH. Very true. It is possible that one can cash in on the emotions of others. But not always necessary or wanted. Miyazaki doesn’t care about the money, he is focused on creating films. This is a trade off, of money, but for his Style, it works, He does what he wants, and also has a business partner, Suzuki, who takes care of the financial strategy. Miyazaki is [unofficially] creative director.
This does get ppl into trouble. Many Designers and companies have done this to their detriment. How much money you want to extract or focus on depends on your Style and strategy. Your strategy is alive. You must navigate how you see fit.