After reading This is Marketing by Seth Godin, often regarded as one of the most influential marketers of our generation, I began viewing marketing as a way of connecting people through shared values rather than a simple act of persuasion. Godin’s philosophy reframes marketing as the generous act of serving a specific group of people, and not a way to shout at the masses. Marketing is a process built on empathy, trust, and a consistent delivery of value. He emphasizes that marketing works best when it speaks directly to “people like us,” offering products, stories, and experiences that not only affirms their identity and worldview, but also aids in the creation of a community they can feel a part of. At its core, the Wan Project is a creative studio that seeks to form community based on its visual, literary, and symbolic representation of Asian American subculture. In this way, our work already aligned with Godin’s principles: earning permission before making an ask, creating relevance through cultural resonance, and designing every touchpoint to feel personal.

I began by identifying what Godin calls the “smallest viable audience”—a specific and clearly defined group of people most likely to connect with our work, value what we offer, and form the foundation for a lasting community. For us, this meant focusing on first- and second-generation Asian Americans who would recognize and appreciate the cultural cues embedded in our films, photography, and designs. From there, I shaped our creative decisions with the intent of serving this audience first: choosing imagery that reflects their lived experiences, using color palettes inspired by cultural motifs, and designing clothing they could wear to project their cultural pride. By anchoring our work in their worldview and needs, we cultivated a sense of relevance and trust, ultimately earning us permission to offer our products as a natural extension of their identity.