How to Build a Brand People Feel Connected To—Not Just Sold To: Expert Insights from Kevin Perlmutter
If your marketing looks solid on paper—but isn’t quite landing with your audience—you’re not alone. Many business owners and brand leaders are doing “all the right things,” yet still struggle to create real connection and momentum.
In the latest episode of the Sticky Note Marketing Show, host Mary Czarnecki sits down with Kevin Perlmutter, Chief Strategist and Founder of Limbic Brand Evolution and author of Brand Desire. Together, they unpack what’s broken in traditional brand strategy—and why emotional insight, not persuasion, is the key to attracting and retaining customers today.
Below are the biggest takeaways from this powerful conversation.
“Emotion plays a role in every decision—regardless of industry.”
Traditional Brand Strategy Is Stuck in the Past
Kevin explains that much of today’s brand strategy is still rooted in a pre–social media era—when marketing relied heavily on TV ads, print, billboards, and persuasion-based language like “unique selling propositions” and “reasons to believe.”
The problem?
Today’s customers don’t make decisions the same way.
In a world of online reviews, social proof, and endless choice, people aren’t looking to be convinced. They’re looking to feel understood. Brands that continue to lead with features and selling points often miss the deeper drivers behind why people choose one brand over another.
Emotion Drives Decision-Making (Even in B2B)
One of the most important myths Kevin challenges is the idea that emotion doesn’t belong in “serious” or B2B brands.
In reality, emotion plays a role in every decision—regardless of industry. Customers may justify their choices logically, but those decisions are often driven by emotional motivations like confidence, relief, security, pride, or control.
Kevin emphasizes that emotional insight doesn’t mean being dramatic or sentimental. It means understanding the emotional needs, motivations, and challenges people are navigating in their lives—and designing your brand experience to support those needs.
Your “Who” Matters More Than Your “Why”
While defining your brand’s “why” has become popular advice, Kevin points out a common pitfall: brands often focus inward without spending enough time understanding their audience.
People care far more about their own motivations than they care about what your company stands for—especially if your “why” isn’t relevant to them.
A strong brand strategy balances both sides:
What the brand is trying to achieve in the world
What customers are trying to achieve in their own lives
When brands skip deeply understanding their audience’s needs, desires, and challenges, their messaging becomes disconnected—even if their mission is inspiring.
Shared Emotional Motivation Is Where Real Connection Happens
One of Kevin’s core frameworks is the idea of shared emotional motivation—the intersection between what a brand wants to help people achieve and what customers want for themselves.
This isn’t a tagline or a slogan. It’s a strategic insight that becomes the foundation for messaging, positioning, and customer experience.
Kevin shares a case study of a SaaS supply chain company whose customers were under constant stress to get inventory levels right. While the software offered powerful features, what truly mattered to customers was how it made them feel—confident, in control, and no longer “the one always in trouble at work.”
That emotional insight led to a powerful brand repositioning focused on helping customers feel “supply chain invincible.” The result? Clear differentiation and stronger resonance in a crowded market.
Customers Hold the Answers—If You’re Willing to Listen
Another key theme from the episode is the importance of listening to customers instead of guessing what makes your brand special.
Kevin encourages brand leaders to:
Talk directly to customers
Analyze reviews and feedback
Look for emotional language, not just feature requests
Customers often articulate the real reasons they choose a brand more clearly than internal teams do. Those insights are gold—and can guide everything from messaging to product development.
One Question Every Brand Should Ask
As a final takeaway, Kevin leaves listeners with a simple but powerful question:
How do you want people to feel?
When brands are intentional about the emotional experience they create—and align it with what customers want to feel—their marketing becomes more relevant, authentic, and effective.
Final Thoughts
This episode of Sticky Note Marketing is a must-listen for small business owners, marketers, and brand leaders who feel stuck using strategies that no longer work.
If you’re ready to move beyond persuasion and start building genuine connection, Kevin Perlmutter’s insights offer a refreshing and actionable path forward.
