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Douglas Van Praet opens Unconscious Branding with a provocative assertion: for too long, marketers have been asking the wrong question–“Why do consumers do what they do?”–when in reality, because so much of human decision-making happens below conscious awareness, that question is fundamentally unanswerable. Instead, he urges us to move away from asking why and toward asking how–how does behavior change happen? He illuminates a shift from treating people as mere “consumers” to recognizing them as complete humans with deeply rooted, often unacknowledged motivations and mental mechanisms.

Van Praet’s thesis rests on the understanding that beneath the surface of conscious thought lurks a vast iceberg: the unconscious, which wields most of the influence over our decisions. He likens the mind to an iceberg where the conscious mind is barely the tip; most emotional responses, heuristics, memories, and behavioral programs lie hidden below. We don’t always know our motives because we don’t have access to most of them.

This means that traditional market research, which relies on people’s ability to rationalize and report why they make choices, is inherently flawed. Van Praet’s view: asking someone why they chose something is like asking a tuna sandwich its political affiliation–post-rationalization kicks in; people create plausible-sounding narratives to justify their gut-level or habitual behavior.

Unconscious Branding is structured around a seven-step, actionable model for influencing this hidden layer of cognition and behavior–not through coercion, but by aligning with how the human brain naturally works. Each step is rich with neuropsychological insight, marketing theory, and compelling real-world examples.

1. Interrupt the Pattern

Van Praet explains that our brains are pattern-seeking devices, designed to operate on autopilot. Routine familiarity breeds complacency–which is great for energy conservation, but terrible for marketers trying to break through the noise. The paradox is simple: to gain attention, you must disrupt expectation. Novelty captures attention; surprise resets the brain. 

He illustrates with the beloved Volkswagen “Darth Vader” Super Bowl ad–the humor and surprise of a child playing Darth Vader trying to use “the Force” to start a car–a twist that defies expectations and seizes attention the instant it appears. These “pattern interrupts” prime the unconscious to pay attention and encode the message.

2. Create Comfort

Attention alone isn’t enough; you need to lower defenses. Disruption can shock, but if you don’t follow up with comfort, the effect fizzles. Van Praet argues we need to establish safety and trust immediately after grabbing attention. The unconscious craves security, predictability, and emotional ease.

He shows how brands that remain consistent, empathetic, and transparent cultivate loyalty. By providing comfort–through brand familiarity, reliable experiences, or even soothing aesthetics–marketers speak directly to deep biological drives like belonging, status, control, and meaning. When a brand looks to align not just with consumers’ wants, but with their emotional states, it starts to build real resonance.

3. Lead the Imagination

Once people are no longer alarmed or defensive, their minds are open to subtle suggestion. Van Praet encourages brands to stimulate the imagination, inviting individuals to mentally engage with the product or idea in a personally meaningful way.

He cites campaigns like Nike’s “Just Do It” and Apple’s silhouette ads–both sparking imaginative projection rather than prescribing behavior. The message becomes a canvas on which consumers paint their own dream, identity, or aspiration. This imaginative leap activates emotional circuits and builds intimate connections.

4. Shift the Feeling

Van Praet notes that feelings come first; thoughts are often a later rationalization. Emotional memory is vivid–even if not accurate–and has power. Emotions drive behavior more forcefully than logic. You don’t sell hip-replacement surgery by listing cadences; you sell comfort, dignity, a return to life’s rhythms. Branding works the same.

Advertisers who evoke feelings–not just features–build stronger, stickier impressions. Whether it’s nostalgia, pride, relief, or belonging, appealing to emotion anchors messages. He points to advertising that taps into sex, children, safety, or status as evolutionary triggers that override rational thought. That’s because emotional memories bind strongly than mundane ones, and brands that are associated with emotion endure longer.

5. Satisfy the Critical Mind

Even after reaching beneath rational thought, you must still engage the brain that rationalizes and rejects. Van Praet’s model insists that you “satisfy the critical mind” by feeding it credible logic, evidence, or authority to round out your influence. 

Think Trident’s “4 out of 5 dentists recommend” campaign–an emotional shift that’s then grounded in rational trust. Or Volvo’s safety ratings–emotion plus rational reassurance. The trick is seamless layering: emotion gives access, logic clears doubt.

6. Change the Associations

Perhaps the most potent step, this involves reassociate your brand with qualities or meanings that consumers aspire to. You’re no longer selling a product; you’re offering an identity. Van Praet brings up the Marlboro Man, who transformed Marlboro from a feminine brand to an emblem of rugged masculinity through strong archetypal storytelling.

He also explores how Tommy Hilfiger’s brand became redefined through cultural context and influencers; hip-hop artists reframed the brand’s meaning. The lesson: associations are fluid, and with strategic cultural moves, you can shift brand identity to align with newly desired consumer self-images.

7. Take Action

All the mental scaffolding–the surprise, comfort, emotional ignition, trust building, and identity alignment–culminates in a moment the brain has been led to: action. Van Praet frames this as the moral of the journey: once the unconscious is aligned, you guide consumers toward intentional, self-directed behavior–buy now, act, transform.

At that moment, the consumer feels both in control and guided–a powerful, ethical persuasion. It’s not manipulation; it’s empowerment wrapped in thoughtful neuroscience.

Throughout Unconscious Branding, Van Praet weaves in neuroscience–mirror neurons, heuristics, brain triad (reptilian/physical, emotional, rational/neo-cortex)–to explain why each step matters. 

What to Expect in the Book?

The physical brain drives instinct (food, sex, safety), the emotional brain stores feelings and memories, and the rational brain post-rationalizes and evaluates. The most compelling campaigns engage all three across time.

Van Praet shares numerous “thought starters” at each chapter’s close–practical examples or prompt ideas for how you might apply each step in new contexts.

He also emphasizes heuristics–mental shortcuts humans rely upon when faced with choice overload. Social proof (“others are doing it”) and perceived value (“you get what you pay for”) are examples. Relying solely on heuristics isn’t enough–you need to combine them with emotional and rational appeals.

Beyond tactics, the book underscores a shift in mindset: move from “marketing to consumers” to “engaging humans.” He critiques the depersonalizing habit of thinking in data chunks–segmentation, clusters–rather than addressing emotional and motivational wholes. A more humane marketing asks: how does this brand connect to need, belonging, meaning, and self-expression?

He also notes the power of unconscious “mental apps”–instinctual programs for food, status, deception detection, and group affiliation. Most behavior is mediated by these subconscious routines. Marketers who bypass discomfort and speak through those programs wield influence.

Van Praet warns too that emotions can mislead–inaccuracy in emotional memory is common–and that missteps or violations of trust are costly. Emotional memories are vivid but not always accurate, and mistakes or inconsistencies can breed lasting backlash. Hence, the vital role of comfort, credibility, and consistency.

By the end, you see how branding functions like religion or community–it offers identity, belonging, meaning, and self-worth. Smart brands occupy emotional and communal space, not just transactional.

He also elevates ritual and repeated, multisensory experiences–rituals drive branding because they embed brand into the unconscious through repetition and emotion.

This book presents the sequence-driven model of influence:

  1. Capture attention
  2. Soothe resistance
  3. Ignite imagination
  4. Stir emotion
  5. Satisfy intellect 
  6. Rebrand identity 
  7. Guide to action

In essence, Unconscious Branding invites a reimagining of marketing as human-centric, psychology-informed, neuroscience-informed engagement. It dismantles the myth that consumers are purely rational actors. Instead, it presents a layered, sequence-driven model of influence: capture attention > soothe resistance > ignite imagination > stir emotion > satisfy intellect > rebrand identity > guide to action. It is neither manipulation nor miracle. It is understanding human nature and designing communication that flows with (not against) it.

Van Praet grounds each principle with accessible case studies: the playful Volkswagen ad, Nike’s motivational branding, Trident’s dentist endorsement, Marlboro’s cowboy myth, Tommy Hilfiger’s cultural rebrand. He leavens dense science with vivid storytelling and practical sparks for implementation.

What emerges is a cohesive philosophy: persuasion should not feel pushy; it should feel understandable, imaginative, safe, meaningful, and credible. It should empower the unconscious to lead the conscious toward better decisions.

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Tada! That encapsulates the rich, continuous narrative of Unconscious Branding, blending theory, neuroscience, emotional resonance, and practical marketing strategy into one seamless exposition–just as Douglas Van Praet delivers in the book, without chapter-by-chapter breakdowns.

Nishant Choudhary
  

Nishant is a {content, product, brand} marketing consultant for SaaS, IT, and Tech startups. He loves exploring and evangelising emerging technologies. You can speak for hours with him discussing startup ideas, growth strategies, business plans, and markets...otherwise, he is a boring book reader or a very irritating being.

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