It’s a neurotransmitter.

It’s most well known for its release in women during labor, breastfeeding and helping a new mom bond with her child. Men and women also release it during sex—especially during orgasm. Oxytocin is a bonding agent the brain produces during social recognition synapses. Studies show that Oxytocin is involved in the formation of trust between people. When we touch, when we shake hands, when we kiss, when we hug—when we experience each other, the brain releases Oxytosin and our relationships begin to go deeper. Affinity skyrockets.

Enter your brand.

The evidence is gorwing everyday and it makes sense. What’s more, it makes an important point. By creating a powerful and intimate experience for your audience, you can cause the chemicals in the brain (endorphins included) to help solidify affinity for your brand. Beyond features and benefits, you have the opportunity to create preference in the minds of the masses by literally messing with their heads.

Start here: What business are you in, REALLY? Your brand has to be more than a proclamation of the features and benefits of the product you’re selling. I don’t care that you sell coffee. I don’t care that you sell phones. I can get coffee and cell phones from a lot of different places. Find a reason I should care. Beyond your product, what are you really in the business of—what are you really selling? What is your genuine brand? Starbuck’s logical brand is coffee. Their genuine brand (used to be) the third place; not work, not home, but Starbucks. (Since the introduction of VIA Starbucks has since started on the road of dismantling their genuine brand, but that’s a post for a different day.) Then exploit the senses—get intimate—create an experience around your genuine brand that makes people go wild. You say emotional branding, I say brand sex.

Brand sex: The act of engaging in an intimate experience with a commercial product that builds passion, preference and affinity of said product (service, place, person, etc.,).

Brand sex. Make them your lover.