In the world of marketing, falling in love with a brand rarely happens through flashy ads alone. Instead, it's a subtle dance of cognitive loops that quietly shape our preferences. One of the most precise guides to this process comes from the MBA programs at Copenhagen Business School (CBS).
This framework breaks down brand selection into a cyclical model rooted in neuroscience and behavioral economics, explaining why we repeatedly choose certain brands over others.
It shifts the focus from demand creation to managing expectations, experiences, and memories - ultimately driving long-term customer value (LTV) in an era where retention is far cheaper and more valuable than acquisition.
The CBS framework consists of five interconnected stages: Representation & Attention, Predicted Value, Experienced Value, Remembered Value, and 4B Learning. These form a loop where each interaction refines our mental model of a brand. Let's explore each stage and its marketing implications.
Representation & Attention: "What Do I Even See?"
The journey begins with the brain curating a narrow set of choices from hundreds of options. In a split second, we notice only a handful - filtered through visual anchors, familiarity, and emotional triggers. This is where attention span comes into play, especially in an information-overloaded digital age.
The brain relies on pattern recognition to efficiently process the world. Recognizable elements like colors, shapes, logos, or icons act as shortcuts, instantly evoking associations. Think of Apple's minimalist white packaging or Coca-Cola's iconic red script - these aren't loud screams for attention but subtle, repeatable cues that stand out amid noise.
Marketing Insight: In today's shifted advertising landscape, winners aren't the loudest but the most recognizable. Brand management is crucial because building these patterns upfront reduces customer acquisition costs and boosts LTV. Invest in consistent visual identity across touchpoints to dominate the "set of consideration" without constant ad spend.
Predicted Value: "How Much Will I Like This?"
Once something catches our eye, the brain forecasts the potential reward: Is the pleasure worth the time, money, or effort? This anticipation stage is where marketing truly shines—through brand promises, positioning, and storytelling.
Expectation bias plays a key role here. The brain simulates outcomes based on prior knowledge, hype, or social proof. A brand like Nike doesn't just sell shoes; it promises empowerment ("Just Do It"), creating a mental preview of triumph.
Behavioral Logic: Precise expectation-setting amplifies emotional payoff. Overpromise, and you risk disappointment; underpromise and overdeliver, and loyalty soars. This is why storytelling builds predicted value - narratives align the brand with the consumer's self-image, making the forecast feel personal and irresistible.
Experienced Value: "How Does It Actually Taste?"
Ads end here; reality begins. This stage evaluates the product quality, service, and emotions during interaction. The brain compares the lived experience against predictions, deciding if another encounter is warranted - directly impacting LTV growth.
Many brands overinvest in predicted value (hype) while skimping on delivery, leading to cognitive dissonance: that jarring gap between promise and reality erodes trust.
Common Pitfall: A luxury hotel chain might tease spa-like bliss in ads but deliver mediocre service. The result? One-time visitors. Brands that align experience with expectations - through seamless UX, thoughtful details, or surprise delights - turn transactions into habits.
Remembered Value: "What Do I Feel When I Think Back?"
Paradoxically, we don't judge experiences by their average quality but by how we remember them. Governed by the peak-end rule, the brain fixates on emotional peaks and the finale, ignoring the mundane middle.
Post-purchase touches matter immensely: a thank-you email, personalized follow-up, elegant unboxing, or caring support. These shape retrospective emotions, often more than the core product.
Practical Application: At agencies like those inspired by Leeds Business School principles, teams design "post-purchase experiences" to engineer positive recalls. For clients, this means welcome kits, loyalty surprises, or resolution-focused service—ensuring the brand lingers fondly in memory.
Brands mastering this win long-term: A coffee shop's warm goodbye or an e-commerce site's easy returns can outweigh minor flaws, prompting repeat visits.
4B Learning: "What Did I Learn, and How Do I Update Expectations?"
Every interaction updates the brand's associative map in our minds via the 4B model (Beliefs, Behaviors, Benefits, Barriers). Positive experiences reinforce and elevate predicted value; negatives downgrade it. The cycle closes, priming us for the next loop with refined forecasts.
This learning reinforces loyalty loops. A brand consistently exceeding expectations builds a "cognitive match" - seamless alignment across prediction, experience, and memory.
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Closing the Loop: Marketing as Cognitive Alignment
Colleagues, marketing isn't about inventing demand - it's about orchestrating cycles of expectations and recollections. Brands triumph not by promising the moon but by creating harmony between what consumers anticipate, encounter, and recall. In a retention-focused world, this CBS framework is your roadmap to building unbreakable preferences. Apply it relentlessly, and watch LTV flourish as cognitive loops turn casual users into lifelong advocates.
