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Performance & Props

Performance & Props

Written by: Rahul Devinder Malik
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Everything you own is a prop. Every move you make is a performance.

Welcome to Performance & Props, a podcast that peers behind the curtain of the modern Identity Economy. Hosted by marketing professor and researcher Rahul Devinder Malik, we explore how the objects we "hire"—from limited-edition sneakers and ring lights to the invisible numbers of our credit scores—define our status, our authority, and our souls in a world of infinite digital noise.

In this series, we move past "functional marketing" and into the theatre of Aesthetic-led Curation. We deconstruct the "Props" we use to carve out a sovereign space in today's digital landscape. Whether you’re a marketing student, a digital nomad, or a creator looking to future-proof your brand, this podcast provides the linguistic gates and aesthetic anchors you need to master your own performance.

What we explore:

  • The hidden rhythm of human trust.

  • Why do we buy things to tell our story?

  • Navigating the theatre of AI and algorithms.

  • Finding authenticity in a world of synthesis.

Subscribe to join the performance.

New episodes every Tuesday.

Rahul Devinder Malik Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales Social Sciences
Episodes
  • The Rules of the Theatre | Performance & Props: Ep 0

    The Rules of the Theatre | Performance & Props: Ep 0
    Jun 4 2026

    In this foundational trailer for Performance & Props, marketing professor Rahul Devinder Malik challenges everything you’ve been taught about consumer behaviour. We like to believe our purchases are practical, but in the modern "Identity Economy," utility is just a cover story. The truth is much more theatrical: we aren't accumulating products; we are collecting props to survive a digital world that demands a permanent personal performance.

    If you are a marketing student, brand builder, or practitioner tired of stale formulas and rigid metrics that treat human beings like numbers on a spreadsheet, consider this show your strategic antidote. This series is designed for the "Sovereign Strategist"—the modern marketer who wants to move past conversion funnels and start understanding the deep psychological masks and tribal tokens that actually drive culture today.

    Hit play to discover how ordinary objects—from smartphones to suitcases—shape who we are, and find out exactly what it takes to build a brand that matters in an algorithm-driven world.

    The curtain is going up. Welcome backstage.

    ✨ Subscribe now to catch a new episode every Tuesday morning.
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    2 mins
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