This Is Your Brain on Branding
You think you bought a pair of Nikes? Cute. Your brain just bought into an entire identity. Maybe you grabbed those sneakers because they looked cool (do we still say cool???), because your favorite athlete wore them, or because you’ve always been a Nike person. Either way, that wasn’t just a transaction. That was neurological imprinting at work.
Branding gets under your skin like your favorite song or the way your grandma’s house used to smell. It's sensory. Emotional. Deeply human.
Yes, friend. Branding can literally rewire your brain. And science backs that up. (Just take Niki’s obsession with Pink Drinks from Starbucks!)
So whether you’re running a tech startup, a nonprofit, an advisory business, or a side hustle with big dreams, understanding how branding impacts the brain is essential.
What’s Actually Happening Up There
Your brain is a wildly efficient, pattern-recognizing machine that constantly makes sense of the world by creating shortcuts. Brands are one of those shortcuts.
In one study from Duke University, participants were subliminally shown the Disney Channel logo. Compared to those shown the E! Channel logo, the Disney group went on to behave more honestly.
That tiny exposure triggered a measurable shift in behavior. That’s how deeply certain brands are wired into our cognitive and emotional systems.
Your brand can literally prime people to think, feel, and act in specific ways. Your visuals, tone, and messaging aren’t just pretty or clever. They’re brain food.
Your Brand Is a Mirror
People don’t just buy products—they buy identities.
A quote from Wharton professor Americus Reed says it all:
“When I make choices about different brands, I’m choosing to create an identity.”
Think about it. We wear brands, drive brands, and drink brands. And each one says something about who we are or who we want to be.
Nike screams performance. Under Armour gives underdog grit. Patagonia whispers responsible adventure. Starbucks hums curated comfort.
So, what does your brand say?
This is where it gets personal. When people encounter your brand, they’re asking a question they might not even know they’re asking: “Does this fit into who I am?” Or maybe, “Who I want to be?”
Try this: Write down three adjectives that describe how your brand makes people feel. Not what you do, but how it feels. Then ask a few people in your audience or community the same question. Do the answers match?
Brand Loyalty = Brain Loyalty
Here’s where things get a little emotional. Turns out, our brains treat beloved brands almost the same way they treat family.
Neuroscientist Michael Platt did a study where Apple fans were shown images related to Apple and Microsoft. Their brain scans? Apple lit up the empathy centers, like a BFF just entered the chat. Wild…
This kind of emotional attachment doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from consistent, trust-building storytelling, visuals that feel familiar, and a voice that connects.
So if you’re wondering why some customers will drive across town for your service or tell all their friends about you, it’s not just because they like you (although that doesn’t hurt). Their brain has decided you're "one of us” – but not in a creepy way.
Have you ever mapped out your customer journey?
Can you pinpoint the emotional moments?
Where are you making them feel seen?
Heard?
Valued?
That’s your loyalty formula!
What This Means for Your Brand Strategy
I know this sounds cheesy but you’re not just building a business, you’re not just selling a product, you’re not just offering a service. You’re creating a belief system, something people want to be part of.
Everything from your font choices to your DMs is either reinforcing or muddying that belief.
It’s not about being trendy or going viral, it’s about being clear and consistent.
Ask yourself: Would your audience recognize your brand if the logo disappeared? If someone read a paragraph of your LinkedIn post without context, would they know it was you? That’s the level of brand clarity we’re looking for.
You can sell software or sourdough, but branding is your identity bridge. It connects your vision with how your audience sees themselves.
Homework
Build brand cues into every touchpoint. Emails, invoices, packaging, playlists. Let your personality show up everywhere.
Tell stories. People remember stories way more than bullet points. Share your origin story. Client wins. Mistakes that turned into lessons. What a day in the life of YOU looks like.
Create a brand persona. If your brand were a person at a party, who are they? Are they mixing drinks? Telling a story that could’ve been an email? Petting the dog in the corner? Does your ideal audience want to hang out with them?
Do a vibe check. Seriously. Look at your current brand materials and ask: What is my audience’s brain actually picking up here? Is this consistent with the identity you want to reflect?
Audit your brand voice. Are you using the same tone across emails, social captions, and your website? Does it sound like someone your audience wants to hang out with?
This Is What We Do
Branding isn’t a color palette. It’s neuroscience, identity, loyalty, and emotion all rolled into something meaningful.
If you want to stick in people’s minds, you have to meet them where it matters: in the sticky, emotional, deeply human parts of the brain that shape how we see ourselves and the world.
So don’t just market. Make minds light up when they see your name.
Need help getting your brand into people’s heads (and hearts)? That’s kinda our thing.
Sources: Big Think Duke Study