We want to talk about the importance of branding, and there’s no better example than the Pepsi paradox. Have you heard of it? Seventy volunteers agreed to have their brain activity measured by an MRI to participate in a blind-tasting session for Coca-Cola and Pepsi. And Pepsi emerged as the clear winner.
When we talk about ‘winning’, we refer to the brain’s reward system, which prefers Pepsi to Coca-Cola. The test didn’t end there. Volunteers then removed their blindfolds and tried both drinks again. Almost every one of the 70 said they preferred Coca-Cola.
Published in Scientific American, Lone Frank wrote, “They were convinced that the taste of Coca-Cola was far superior to Pepsi,” and “this shift in attitude followed an important change in the brain – this time, the medial prefrontal cortex went into action.”
The taste reward in the brain didn’t register as much anymore. Why? Branding. It’s ALL about branding. When brand information is available, people tend to prefer Coke. So it’s safe to say that we have proven historical evidence that a good brand can make people believe they like something more than they do.
Let’s bring things up to date. In 2023, it’s widely accepted that companies don’t sell products or services. Instead, they sell experiences, feelings, and ideologies. When we partner with a business, whether a startup, entrepreneur, or established business, we always begin with the brand.
Our work is about reaching people and making connections – the corporate-friendly way of translating this is to say that we help a business attract its primary target audience and help them increase the number of conversions to maximise their profit. That’s what we do!
Our branding efforts define a company’s identity, align with business objectives, and strengthen all relationships – internally (employees) and externally (customers) – and across all channels.
Brand assets such as mission statements, principles, and manifestos become cornerstones of identity, from which we develop a unique and original brand voice, visually and verbally. If you see the importance of branding and want to take your brand seriously, contact the team today.
