Our guest in this episode is Kevin Perlmutter, author of Brand Desire and a brand strategist who has codified the complex world of human emotion into an actionable framework. Kevin provides a system for businesses to move beyond mere transactions and build genuine, lasting connections with the people they serve. In our fascinating chat, we dive into his powerful system for creating genuine brand desire, exploring why honouring how you want people to feel is the cornerstone of a thriving business, especially in the age of AI.
Key points discussed include:
Great brands make lives better by honouring their customers' deepest emotional motivations.
True differentiation comes from what loyal customers already feel, not just from a gap in the market.
In the age of AI, a leader's crucial role is guarding the line that protects human connection.
Listen to the podcast to find out more.
Show Notes from this episode with Kevin Perlmutter
It was an absolute thrill to welcome Kevin Perlmutter, author of the brilliant book Brand Desire, back to the InnovaBuzz podcast. Our conversation was a powerful reminder of a fundamental truth that so many businesses seem to forget: brands should exist to make people's lives better. Kevin has masterfully codified the complex world of human emotion into a clear and actionable framework that guides businesses away from the shortcuts that degrade human connection and toward creating something people genuinely desire.
So often, we get tangled up in our own processes, our features, and our messaging, without stopping to ask how we’re actually making people feel. As Kevin points out, this disconnect is where brands stumble. They have the best intentions but end up creating frustrating, soul-crushing experiences that do the opposite of building loyalty. Our chat was a masterclass in putting the human heart back at the center of brand strategy.
The Sprinkler System Epiphany: From Dread to Devotion
I loved Kevin’s story about a frustrating experience with a broken lawn sprinkler system that turned into a moment of brand magic. He, like all of us, was bracing for the typical customer service nightmare: a long wait on hold, a difficult conversation, and likely a dead end because the product was out of warranty. That feeling of dread is something we’ve all been conditioned to expect.
Instead, the company called him back within five minutes, a real person quickly identified the problem, and without hesitation, they sent him a brand new, upgraded model for free. In 15 minutes, they transformed a moment of frustration into one of delight. As Kevin rightly said, they didn’t just save a customer; they created a passionate ambassador who will now tell that story for years to come. That is the power of prioritizing a person's feelings over a rigid policy.
Codifying the Connection: The Focus, Connect, Evolve Framework
What’s so powerful about Kevin’s work is that he’s taken this intuitive idea of human connection and built a reliable system around it. He calls it the Focus, Connect, Evolve framework, and it’s a clear roadmap for any brand that wants to build a more meaningful relationship with its audience. It’s a process for turning those fleeting moments of connection into a core, repeatable strategy.
The framework begins with Focus, where you do the deep work of gaining customer insight. Then you move to Connect, where you craft the emotional benefit and an invitation into your brand. Finally, you Evolve by bringing that promise to life in every single experience a customer has with you, ensuring the feeling you want to create is consistently delivered.
Uncovering Your Beacon: The 'Shared Emotional Motivation'
Diving deeper into that "Focus" phase, Kevin shared a concept that really resonated with me: the "shared emotional motivation." This isn't about finding some patch of "white space" in a competitive analysis. It's about doing the work to understand the emotional truth of why your most loyal customers love you. It’s about finding the intersection where what your brand authentically provides meets what your customers are truly craving.
When you find that intersection, it becomes your brand's guiding "beacon." It’s a clear, unwavering light that informs every decision you make, from your marketing copy to your product development to your customer service policies. It ensures that you are always oriented around the emotional core of your promise to your customers.
How 'Invincible' Feels: A B2B Masterclass in Emotion
To show this in action, Kevin told the story of a B2B software company that helps supply chain managers. Their customers went from using gut instinct and spreadsheets, constantly afraid of "getting yelled at," to being the "hero" in their organization because they always had the right numbers. The shared emotional motivation wasn't about efficiency; it was about the craving to feel competent and secure.
From this insight, the powerful brand promise, "Be Supply Chain Invincible," was born. It was a bold, emotional statement that initially made the client a bit nervous, but it was completely authentic because it was rooted in how their service already made their best customers feel. It’s a perfect example of how emotion is just as critical in B2B as it is in B2C.
The AI Tightrope: Guarding the Humanity Line
Of course, we had to talk about AI. Kevin has a wonderfully clear-eyed perspective on it. While AI can be a fantastic tool for things like summarizing customer reviews or acting as an "enhanced thesaurus," there’s a significant danger when it’s used to replace genuine human interaction without careful thought.
He was adamant that the brand leader's role today is to be the guardian of the human experience. You must know where the line is between using AI to be humanity-enhancing versus humanity-degrading. And his advice is simple: you must never, ever cross that line just for the sake of cost-cutting or efficiency. That is a non-negotiable responsibility.
Your Limbic Sparks Mindset: Three Questions to Ask Today
To bring it all home, Kevin shared a simple, actionable mindset that anyone can adopt, which he calls the Limbic Sparks Mindset. It boils down to asking three essential questions every day, whether you’re designing a new product or just writing an email.
First, what are people’s frustrations, unmet needs, and motivations? Second, how do people want to feel when they interact with you? And finally, what should your brand do and say to make people's lives better? By asking these questions, you begin to build a brand that people don't just buy from, but truly desire to have in their lives.
In Summary: My conversation with Kevin Perlmutter was a profound call to action for all business leaders. His message is that the brands that thrive will be the ones who understand and address the emotional motivations of their customers. It’s not just about what you do; it’s about how you make people feel.
The Buzz - Our Innovation Round
Here are Kevin’s answers to the questions of our innovation round. Listen to the conversation to get the full scoop.
Most innovative use of AI to enhance human relationships – AI algorithms can be used to create pairings and matchings that connect like-minded people, assuming they foster genuine connection rather than isolation.
Best thing to integrate AI and human connection – Use AI as an enhanced thesaurus to explore alternative phrasing and interpretations, which helps deepen the nuance of your own human communication.
Differentiate by leveraging AI – Discover what makes you unique by asking others for input on how you make them feel, then lean into that authentic emotional differentiator.
Action
Embrace a Limbic Sparks Mindset. Think about your customer's frustrations, needs, and desires. Ask yourself how they want to feel, then design what you say and do to truly make their lives better.
Reach Out
You can reach out and thank Kevin on LinkedIn and find all the details about his book and framework at branddesirebook.com.
Links:
Books:
Brand Desire: Spark Customer Interest Using Emotional Insights, Kevin Perlmutter
Cool Things About Kevin
He Played the Long Game with His Podcast. Years before his book deal, Kevin strategically designed his podcast as a research tool. He intentionally asked every one of his 37 guests the same core questions, patiently building a unique library of expert insights that would eventually become a foundational part of his book. That level of foresight and disciplined creativity is unconventional and impressive.
He Deconstructed His Own "Magic" for Others. Kevin admits that his successful approach was, for a long time, "somewhat intuitive" and "second nature" to him. The cool part isn't the intuition itself, but his decision to undertake the difficult work of codifying it. He didn't just want to be the magician; he wanted to write down the spells so that, as he said, "anybody can learn how to do it". That's a profoundly generous impulse.
He's a Principled Guardian of Humanity in Tech. In a world quick to adopt any new technology, Kevin has drawn a clear "do not cross line". He's not anti-AI; he's a staunch, principled advocate for ensuring technology serves, rather than "degrades," the human experience. This role as a thoughtful "guardian" against dehumanizing shortcuts is a powerful and very human stance to take.
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