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Top line. Science shows people don’t buy products. They buy versions of themselves. Identity — not logic — drives the vast majority of decisions. When brands speak to who people are (and who they want to be), they bypass reason and plug straight into the subconscious engine that really sells.
Erol Demir could have bought an ordinary frame for his new prescription glasses at any store. Instead, he walked out of Spectacular, an upmarket eyewear boutique, with a frame that cost three times more than those at a run-of-the-mill optician. He knew it was well outside a junior copywriter’s budget. But he bought them anyway. Why?
Because frames aren’t about seeing. They’re about being seen. Armed with behavioural science, Spectacular’s brand strategist knew Erol’s choice would be driven by one of the most powerful subconscious forces of all — identity — and harnessed his subliminal need to signal to the world that he was quirky, discerning, and creative. Turns out, Erol’s identity was worth a lot more than the frames. And that value made a hefty margin for Spectacular.
Identity — the force that shaped Erol’s decision — is the same one driving nearly every decision your customers make too. So, it may pay to know more.
Marketing is aiming wrong
Most marketing wrongly assumes customers are thoughtful actors weighing price and function. Lower fees. Longer-lasting fabric. Cheaper printer ink. Which is why 85% of marketing misses the mark — and burns money.
Neuroscience shows that around 95% of human decisions and behaviours are formed without any conscious or rational thought. That’s because the 22-watt brain simply doesn’t have the energy to process the 11 million bits of data it takes in every second. So, it’s forced to rely on its fast, automatic subconscious production line to evaluate and react to incoming data — using almost no energy at all. It isn’t the conscious mind that calls the shots. It’s the subconscious — the brain’s real mastermind.
How the subconscious works
The brain’s subconscious system works efficiently in near real time by zeroing in on a few key emotional cues, matching the chemistry it detects to stored patterns in memory, and snapping them into place in a heartbeat.
Identity is one of the key frameworks the subconscious uses to assemble instant reactions. Every decision and behaviour is tested for alignment to the story of self — who we are, and who we want to be.
Identity is important to intuitive reaction assembly because it ensures:
- Consistency: Keeps decisions aligned to a stable sense of self, conserving energy.
- Aspiration: Projects a future version of ourselves we want to grow into to survive and thrive.
- Signalling: Communicates strengths and values to others in our tribes, securing belonging – key to collaboration needed to survive and thrive.
Where marketing messages fail to connect to identity, the subconscious discards its relevance or importance.
Brands that get it right
Campaigns built only on function — “longer-lasting”, “cheaper”, “better quality” — struggle to cut through because they don’t use the emotional code the subconscious mastermind applies to interpret and react.
But brands that anchor their story in identity win:
- Harley-Davidson: More than motorcycles, it sells rebellion and brotherhood. Riders tattoo the logo because Harley is part of who they are.
- Apple: More than devices, Apple signals creativity, innovation, and a brave challenge to the status quo. Owning one is a badge of being forward-thinking.
- Dove: More than soap, Dove reframes beauty as real and inclusive. Its campaigns resonate with people who see themselves as authentic and confident in their own skin.
- Ray-Ban: More than sunglasses, Ray-Ban projects style, independence, and edge.
These brands don’t sell products. They sell identities their customers aspire to live out.
How to put identity at the centre of your brand story
- Define the hero: Put your customer at the centre of the story. Their identity plays the lead role.
- Decode cues: Research the symbols, traits, and archetypes that matter to your audience.
- Align with aspiration: Show not just who they are today, but who they can become with your brand.
- Trigger emotion: Use language and imagery that spark identity-aligned feelings.
- Make products props: Position what you sell as tools or badges that help customers live their story of self.
The bottom line
Identity is one of the deepest drivers of human choice. Brands that address it win. Those that ignore it typically fail. Products are just props. The real story customers are buying is the one about themselves.
About. Jonathan Hall is the CEO of ThinkWorks, a behavioural science consultancy that helps organisations move more minds with influence and narrative science. ThinkWorks blends the disciplines of business and brand strategy, behavioural science, and storytelling art to produce messaging tactics that persuade effectively.
Jonathan is a graduate of Wits Business School, has trained in strategic modelling at Aix-Marseille University in France, and is certified in behavioural economics, brand, and narrative science. He is also the author of the e-books The Power of Brand Story and BrainSell. His work has earned several accolades, including the IMM Marketing Company of the Year award, a Deloitte Best Company to Work For award, and a PSA Innovator of the Year award.
To find out if ThinkWorks can help your organisation influence the minds you target, contact ThinkWorks for a no-obligation exploration.
📩 jonh@thinkworks.co.za | 📞 +27 83 251 0716
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