The science of branding.

People buy brands, not products or services. Science and research proves it. The Harvard Business Review found that 80-90% of buyers already have a list of potential vendors in mind before starting the search process, and 90% of buyers choose a brand they already have in mind at the beginning of the sales process.

Have you ever wondered what makes brands so powerful? Why are we drawn to certain brands? Why are brands so compelling?

It’s simple. Humans are deeply emotional, irrational creatures. While we like to believe we are highly rational decision makers, we’re telling ourselves stories. Our emotional reactions drive the majority of our decisions (Gerald Zaltman, Harvard).

Nobel Laureate and Psychologist Daniel Kahneman captured this dynamic perfectly in his book Thinking Fast vs. Thinking Slow:

“We think, each of us, that we're much more rational than we are. And we think that we make our decisions because we have good reasons to make them. Even when it's the other way around. We believe in the reasons, because we've already made the decision.”

Brands speak to our emotional subconscious, which is the driver of the majority of our decisions. According to consumer behavior expert Phillip Adcock:

• Emotional reactions are 3,000 times quicker than rational thought
• Emotional parts of the brain process sensory input 5 times faster than rational thought
• The persuasiveness ratio of emotion to reason is 24:1

A brand embodies what you believe in and what you stand for. A brand holds so much power because it is an outward expression of our own identity, our beliefs, our values and our behaviors. Someone wearing Nike conveys a commitment to performance whereas someone wearing Adidas exudes their sense of individualism, or someone wearing Pumas conveys their bold, edgy fashion sense. Three innovative athletic footwear brands, each representing different values and identities. Each tapping into our emotions in different ways.

Brands hold the power to create the deepest connections with your audiences. The highly emotional connections to your audiences. What kinds of connections is your brand making? It may be time to take a closer look. We can help. Let’s chat!