Marketing That Moves People: Storytelling & the Power of Visual Identity

Most founders know they need to market themselves. Few know how to make people feel something.

In 2026, the brands that win won't be the loudest — they'll be the ones that resonate. That means understanding the emotional currents shaping your audience, telling your story with clarity and confidence, and showing up visually in a way that builds instant trust.

This special double session brings together two experts — a brand strategist and a professional photographer — to give founders a complete picture of what it takes to build a compelling, credible personal brand in today's market.

Whether you're pitching to investors, growing your LinkedIn presence, or simply trying to communicate what makes your business different, you'll leave with practical tools, fresh perspective, and a clear next step.

Part One — Marketing Trends 2026: Reading the Zeitgeist with Yana Basaranovich, Fractional CCO & Brand Strategist · 45 minutes

Marketing in 2026 is not about chasing tools or trends. It's about reading the emotional atmosphere of the era — and knowing how to translate it into brand decisions that actually land.

Yana will walk you through the 7 key marketing trends shaping 2026, drawn from her work with founders across tech, fashion, and lifestyle brands. Each trend is examined through the lens of consumer psychology — what people are feeling, why it matters, and how your brand can respond with meaning rather than noise.

You will explore:

• How to distinguish megatrends, macrotrends, and microtrends — and why most brands get it wrong
• Why nostalgia, micro-joys, and authentic chaos are outperforming polished campaigns
• How storytelling universes, digital humans, and sound identity are reshaping brand experience
• Why the Silver Generation represents one of the most overlooked opportunities in marketing today
• How to read the Zeitgeist and apply it to your specific brand DNA
• A practical framework for choosing the one trend that's right for your business right now

This is not a trend report. It's a strategic lens for founders who want to build brands that connect on a human level — and grow as a result.

Part Two — Visual Storytelling for Founders: How Professional Photography Strengthens Your Personal Brand with Nino Bektashashvili, Portrait & Brand Photographer · 30 minutes

Your audience forms an impression of you before they read a single word. That impression comes from your photos.

In this session, Nino brings a photographer's perspective on the role of visual identity in personal branding — and why professional imagery is not a vanity investment, but a strategic one. She will show founders how great photography communicates values, personality, and positioning in a single frame, and what it takes to prepare for portraits that truly reflect who you are and what you stand for.

You will explore:

• Why your photography is the first chapter of your brand story
• How professional portraits influence credibility, trust, and first impressions across LinkedIn, your website, and the media
• How photographers translate personality and narrative into authentic, intentional images
• What to consider before a shoot — style, environment, body language, and message
• Common mistakes founders make with personal brand photography, and how to avoid them

Following the session, attendees will have the opportunity to book a professional on-brand portrait session with Nino directly.

• Part One: Practical workshop with frameworks and real-world brand examples
• Part Two: Presentation with visual case studies and founder-focused guidance
• Joint Q&A: 15 minutes with both speakers
• Networking: Time to connect with fellow founders after the sessions

• A clear understanding of the 7 marketing trends defining 2026 — and how to apply them strategically
• A framework for reading cultural and emotional shifts and translating them into brand decisions
• Practical communication tactics for LinkedIn and other platforms
• Insight into how professional photography shapes perception and builds brand authority
• A personalised checklist for preparing for a founder photo shoot
• Actions you can apply immediately to your personal and business brand

• Founders and co-founders at any stage
• Entrepreneurs building a personal or founder-led brand
• Consultants, coaches, and independent professionals
• Anyone who wants to communicate their story more clearly — visually and verbally
• No prior marketing or photography experience required

Yana Basaranovich — Brand Strategist & Fractional CCO

Yana Basaranovich is the founder of WHYBconsult and a fractional Chief Communications Officer and PR mentor for startups and founder-led companies. She specialises in brandformance — the strategic blend of storytelling and performance marketing that drives measurable growth. With experience across tech, fashion, and lifestyle brands, Yana helps founders build brands that are not only visible, but meaningful. Her recent LinkedIn post on 2026 marketing trends attracted over 700 likes and 130 reposts — a clear signal that this conversation is overdue.

Nino Bektashashvili — Portrait & Brand Photographer

Nino Bektashashvili is a Georgia-born photographer specialising in portraits and visual storytelling for founders, brands, and professionals. Her work focuses on capturing authentic and confident visual identities that help individuals present themselves clearly and powerfully across digital platforms, media appearances, and business environments. Nino's portraits are designed not just to look professional — but to tell the truth about who her subjects are and what they stand for.

• Duration: 2 hours (plus networking)
• Format: In person
• Language: English

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