Living Brands: How Biology and Neuroscience Shape Consumer Behaviour and Brand Desirability

When we, as humans, think of our lives, it is assumed that many people’s first thoughts are that they are, for the most part, simple. Almost all humans have the same biological needs: hunger, thirst, fatigue, etc. In Living Brands, Dr. Constantinos Pantidos has studied humans as a whole and has displayed his findings, which show how, even though our human lives are simple in that our main objective is survival, they are also intertwined with many other factors of motivation for living completely. His creation of The Wheel of Motives was brought to bring attention to and explain the many areas of our lives that we must fulfill as we strive for happiness and completeness, including security, control, care, desire, and play, to name a few. As we fulfill one of our many motives, others will be fulfilled in the process but can have a dizzying effect on us (hence “The Wheel”).

Dr. Pantidos begins the book by including chapters that explain the fundamental motives for the seemingly unconscious desires that are at the base of our “need” to purchase items, such as toys, pet food, makeup, cars, etc. The companies that sell these items work strategically with their marketing campaigns through slogans, pictures, and videos to pull at heartstrings and subconscious feelings. Motives such as care, control, and desire are discussed, giving us clarity about why we do what we do, which isn’t always obvious when we stop and think about it. Through these explanations, we might feel that all the marketing is rather manipulative, but the brands are only playing off of basic human emotions to achieve their wished-for status. For these brands, with power comes the responsibility that they must stay true to their original goal for their company and their customers, or they will ultimately fail as a business. The success of many well-known brands, such as Chanel No. 5 and Apple lies in the continuation of their original mission, whether that is innovation and growth or daring to be different and to stand out.

Dr. Pantidos did an excellent job of pulling research together into a well-organized book that presents all the facts plainly and clearly. After reading, I feel that I have a better understanding of my human needs and thoughts, as well as of the science and work it takes to continue with a successful, living brand that works to get its message across to the public with the least resistance from any external or internal factors. I would recommend this book to anyone in the business world or anyone in general to have a better understanding of our basic motives in life.