Unconscious Branding summary

We know that the brain is divided into three “parts,” a physical, an emotional and a rational part. And knowing this can help a marketer better conceive of campaigns to effectively motivate a potential customer.

The brain’s physical part deals with our powerful, yet unconscious, human needs. Often called the “reptilian brain,” this part deals with breathing, eating and mating.

So you’re walking down a street you walk down every day, and suddenly, you see a car crash into a storefront just a few hundred yards ahead of you. Do you keep walking, or do you stop and stare?

Of course, you stop. But how is such a reaction relevant to a marketer?

Who do you trust most in your life? Your spouse, or perhaps your best friend? But what about the company that makes your flat-screen TV? Do you trust it?

Trust isn’t just something you share with friends or family members. Consumers and brands also share trust relationships – or a lack thereof.

Great brands capture the consumer’s imagination. So how can a marketer achieve this in a campaign?

In theory, it’s quite simple. A great marketer leaves her key message open. When a customer has to use his imagination, he’ll interpret a general marketing message into one that speaks directly to him.

Our behavior is nearly always driven by our emotions. Thus it is incredibly important that you consider your customer’s emotions when developing brands and campaigns.

You could even say that a marketer doesn’t sell a product or a service, but an emotion.

You’d have to be a serious fool to believe every marketing message out there. The human mind is by nature critical, and there are evolutionary reasons for this.

As a species, we’ve evolved to avoid harm and loss, thus it stands to reason that a consumer would question anyone or anything that might constitute a threat.

If you think of a popular brand, chances are the association brings up a host of positive attributes as well. A great brand makes us feel good, and feeling good is a positive emotion.

Remember that a brand lives in the minds of your customers, not on a supermarket shelf!

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.” This Chinese proverb is incredibly relevant when it comes to consumers.

Companies can use marketing to help consumers take an active role in their relationship with a brand.