The unconscious feeling toward a brand is what I like to refer to as “Brand Fantasy.” it’s a messy network of associations that get woven together to form an unconscious representation of your brand. The brand fantasy underpins the  “gut feeling” you have toward something. 

Most artists I know would rather follow their gut and rely upon a limited understanding of branding. This article is my attempt to dig deeper into the nature of brands, how they live in our minds, and to reveal how creative artists can use this understanding to grow their own brands. By diving into the unconscious feel of your brand, you can get away from the training wheels and explore the deep, hidden, and most powerful aspects of yourself and your brand.

As an artist, these latent feelings are ultimately what you use to connect with your audience.

LOW-INVOLVEMENT PROCESSING

When we talk about “breaking through the clutter” or reaching “distracted listeners,” or the issues of “multi-screen viewing,” we assume we need to be so radical that our audience stops what they are doing and listens -feels, really- our message. Our fans need to pay attention to us because we are teaching them something about themselves and the world they live in. Brands tend to reach us while we are in relaxed states, consuming things we choose to, not things we have to. We see ads when we watch TV, scroll through Facebook, listen to the radio, or flip through artists on Instagram. During our free time we’re not paying close attention because we’re just trying to be entertained. This type of shallow attention is called low-involvement processing, and it’s critical. When listeners only give you partial attention with with shallow processing, they’re not processing much of the rational, conscious messages brands try to get across. Instead, the audience only remembers how a brand made them feel. 

BUILDING SOMATIC MARKERS 

These are built piece by piece every time a listener interacts with any part of your brand, including with your competition and related associations that don’t involve your brand (i.e. Dogs associated with Puma). Every sense is involved: the touch and feel, the optics, and the sound all play a role. The sum total of all of these associations forms the brand fantasy and the somatic marker for the brand.

CHECK YOUR FANTASY AGAINST THE THREE C’s

As you create your brand fantasy, make sure it aligns with these three C’s: consumer, commerce, and culture. These pillars will ensure that your fantasy is relevant to your target market, is differentiated from your competition, and stays relevant with cultural trends. 

Consumer: It should fit with your target audience

Consumers are buying into a better version of themselves though your product or service, so your fantasy should represent a personality, vibe, and attitude that your page audience aspires toward. It’s a feeling they want to identify with. Your brand should be a part of their personal identity and how they want to see themselves. 

Commerce: It should fill a gap in the marketplace

The fantasy should be clearly differentiated from your competition. This is what is going to get people to choose your product over theirs. In fact, it’s a good idea to identify what makes your competitors different and relevant, so you can move accordingly.

Culture: It should fit with today’s and tomorrow’s trends

This fantasy should fit in the broader world, beyond your category and industry. It should make sense with the moves of industry giants and the trends that are shaping your fans’ beliefs and desires. It’s also a good idea to find a group or subculture that your brand fits into. You will be more authentic and your audience will be more loyal when your brand aligns with the right subculture. 

By implementing these strategies, you can build your own brand fantasy, audience, and success.