Brands & The Brain

Kuch meetha ho jaaye?

There was a time when the answer to that question was almost predictable. A box of mithai. Laddoos, barfi, peda, depending on the occasion, the city, and perhaps the person you were trying to impress.

And then came chocolate or read Cadbury.

Chocolate had to find its way into a culture where sweets were not just food; they were a language. We gave them when we celebrated, when we apologised, when we visited someone, when we wanted to say thank you, and most importantly, when we wanted to share a little happiness.

So how did a chocolate brand manage to become part of our world?

Cadbury’s answer was rather clever. It didn’t try to make us choose between chocolate and mithai. It made chocolate part of the ritual itself.

Reading Brands and the Brain, I found myself thinking about moments like these. We often talk about brands as if they are things we consciously choose, because of price, quality, packaging or advertising.

But our relationship with brands is far more personal than that. Some brands become associated with memories, occasions, people and emotions so seamlessly that we stop thinking of them as brands at all.

And that is what makes this book worth talking about.

In the book, Arvind Sahay masterfully explores branding through the lens of neuroscience and psychology.

The book invites readers into a world where perception, memory, and emotion shape our relationship with the brands around us.  It's an eye-opening journey into the subconscious relationships we build with brands, often without realising it.

Sahay's writing bridges science and storytelling. 

He doesn’t just throw research at you; he gently peels back the layers of consumer behaviour, revealing how trust, emotion, and identity intertwine to make brands stick. 

What struck me most was the clarity with which he illustrates that branding is not just strategy; it’s psychology. It’s how brands make us feel, remember, and believe.

This book will make you rethink your favourite brands and question your own choices as a consumer.

More than anything, Brands and the Brain is a quiet nudge to slow down and see branding not just as persuasion, but as a form of human connection.

Highly recommended.