Protocols create rules and standards that enable different systems to communicate and interact seamlessly. Similarly, when we think about brands, there's a new framework where various members can build, innovate, and interact within a shared brand ecosystem. Just as APIs enable diverse applications to communicate and share data seamlessly, a brand protocol can facilitate cohesive interactions among creators, builders, and users.

This idea shifts the traditional view of brands from top-down managed entities to decentralized, collaborative ecosystems, opening up new possibilities for their members, each playing a vital role in the brand's evolution.

Creators building on top

Creators are the core of any brand protocol. They bring new ideas, content, and innovations that enhance the brand's value. Much like developers building on a protocol, creators contribute to a brand's evolution by adding layers of meaning, utility, and engagement. For example, artists who create merchandise, content creators who produce engaging stories, and designers who introduce new aesthetics.

They enable new forms of partnerships, initiatives, and co-creation opportunities, driving innovation and collective growth within the ecosystem.

Builders creating new clients

Builders develop new interfaces and platforms that connect users with the brand. These could be new apps, websites, frames, or even physical experiences that make the brand more accessible and engaging. Just as builders create new clients to interact with a protocol, they expand the brand's reach and functionality, like Jacopo building an onchain commerce within a frame where members had the option to buy higher merch.

Users as part of a culture

Users are not just passive consumers; they are active participants in the brand culture. In a brand protocol, users interact with the brand and with each other, creating a vibrant community. By engaging with the brand, they contribute to its value and growth. They hold and use tokens, which gives them a sense of ownership and belonging, and incentivizes them to support and engage with the brand. This collective involvement not only strengthens the community culture but also ensures ongoing participation and growth within the ecosystem.

A token that unites

At the center of this community, there's a token that acts as the medium of value transfer. This currency gives its members social status, converting them from participants to co-owners of the brand's success, and providing a way to use the token within apps.

The token plays a pivotal role beyond simple transactions, transitioning from a mere brand currency to a more defined creative currency, where everyone is welcome to create content in any form of creative expression and price it in the brand's token, exchange of value within the community, and innovate on ways to use it.

Conclusion

Creators, builders, and users are all integral members of the community, collaboratively defining and evolving the brand. This collaborative effort is the most powerful aspect of headless brands, as seen in Nouns, and now with Higher. The aesthetics invite you to create new and unique expressions of brand identity, where every participant's contribution shapes the collective vision and direction.