Ulli Appelbaum
Why Brand Associations Matter More Than Ever with Ulli Appelbaum Ep 269 - The Global Discussion
A seasoned strategist with a global career in account planning and brand consulting, Ulli Appelbaum brings a mix of practical experience, scientific rigor, and a grounded view of what actually works in marketing. His latest appearance on The Global Discussion delivered exactly that.
Ulli has just released his second book, "The Science of Brand Associations: Win Minds, Win Markets", a project that pulls together decades of evidence, neuroscience, and real-world case studies to explain how strong brands truly take shape in the minds of consumers. For anyone interested in building brands that last, the conversation offers a clear and refreshing perspective.
Who Ulli Appelbaum Is Today
Ulli's background spans top agencies in Europe, Eastern Europe, and the United States. After years of shaping strategy at global firms, he founded his own consultancy in Minneapolis, First The Trousers Then The Shoes. The name reflects his philosophy. Strategy comes first, execution second. And strategy, in his view, is a creative problem-solving craft, not a theoretical exercise.
Over the past fifteen years, he has advised everyone from startups to multinational giants. His recent focus is on a growing number of software and tech companies rediscovering the relevance of traditional marketing thinking. Across all of this work, his north star remains the same: clarity, simplicity, and consistency.
The Book That Sparked the Return Visit
Ulli's first book, "The Brand Positioning Workbook", introduced a methodology grounded in 26 sources of brand associations. Those sources were built on the analysis of more than 1,200 successful case studies, helping readers unlock positioning opportunities systematically.
His new book takes a different path. Instead of creating a framework from his own experience, he decided to curate the best available scientific research related to brand associations. The result is a comprehensive guide to how memories form, how associations shape decisions, and how marketers can influence both in practical ways.
Why Associations Matter More Than Ever
One of the strongest insights in this new work is the idea that a brand is nothing more than what people have stored in memory about it. Every impression, every experience, and every emotional moment contributes to an internal network that either helps or hinders the brand at the moment of choice.
Ulli points out a truth that many marketers overlook. The first brand to come to mind in a buying situation usually wins. That means the job of brand building is not to be the loudest, but to build the strongest and most relevant memory structure. And the evidence for that is overwhelming.
In an era of synthetic content, algorithmic noise, and constant digital clutter, this clarity matters. Consumers are bombarded, and the brands that rise above it do so by keeping things simple, relevant, and consistent. Not because they win this week's viral moment.
Neuroscience, Simplicity, and How Memory Really Works
Ulli digs into the neuroscience behind this. Memories are not stored in one place. They are distributed across the brain as clusters of meaning, experience, and emotion. Every brand encounter leaves a physical imprint. Stronger emotion creates a deeper mark. Repetition reinforces it. Relevance locks it in.
Ulli uses a simple metaphor. Imagine pressing your thumb into clay. If the moment is emotional, the pressure is stronger. If it is repeated, the imprint deepens. If it is irrelevant or bland, the clay barely dents.
Marketers often talk about emotion, relevance, and consistency. What Ulli has done is pull together the science that explains why those principles matter and how to apply them with intent.
Choosing the Right Associations
A common mistake is reducing a brand to a single word. Ulli argues that what matters is not one word but a network of associations. A robust network might contain three to five elements that together cover the functional, emotional, and category-defining qualities a brand needs.
He even provides a scorecard in the book so teams can evaluate whether their current positioning creates the type of memory structure that leads to growth. This is where his practical side shows. Theory is only useful if it can be applied.
What Brands Often Overlook
When asked about undervalued opportunities, his answer is refreshingly honest. Many brands succeed simply because their category is growing. The real contribution marketers make, he says, is clarity. Help an organization align around a few essential associations. Keep it focused. Keep it consistent. As simple as that sounds, it is often the unlock that large teams overlook.
The next piece is understanding the drivers of a category. Taste, for example, is a basic driver in food. Yet many brands ignore it in favor of storytelling. He points to Poppy, the fast-growing prebiotic soda brand, which built its success not just on health benefits but on great flavor. Without taste, the story would not matter.
Handling Negative Brand Associations
The discussion also explores what happens when things go wrong. Ignoring negative associations does not work. You either counter them directly with facts, as McDonald's did in Canada and Sweden, or you re-activate positive emotional memories, as McDonald's did in the United States by leaning into the personal rituals people have with the brand.
Different markets require different approaches. The principle, however, stays the same. You must acknowledge the memory structures that already exist before you can reshape them.
A Stand Against Trend-Driven Marketing
One of the more striking points in the episode is Ulli's critique of the marketing book landscape. He recently analyzed a selection of top-selling titles and found that the vast majority were not evidence-based. Many were simply opinions dressed up as frameworks.
His mission with this book is to give marketers the opposite. Something grounded, proven, and actionable. Something you can use to justify decisions and allocate budgets with confidence instead of following whatever philosophy is trending that season.
Where to Find the Book and How to Connect
The Science of Brand Associations is available exclusively on Amazon in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats. For marketers who want a blend of scientific insight and practical tools, it is a strong addition to the bookshelf.
For anyone wanting to connect with Ulli or learn more about his consulting work, LinkedIn is the best place to start. His website, First The Trousers Then The Shoes, also offers case studies, client testimonials, and a wide range of articles on brand strategy.
If you are building a brand, growing one, or trying to refresh one, this conversation offers a clear reminder. Success comes from how you shape the memories that shape decisions. Ulli Appelbaum is one of the few who can explain that process with both scientific clarity and practical wisdom.
About The Global Discussion
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