Shaping Consumer Consciousness: A Framework for Good Marketing

"All psychological processes, whether simple or complex, have their roots in the sensations of experience." - Wilhelm Wundt

In the 19th century, Wilhelm Wundt, often revered as the father of modern psychology, forever altered our understanding of human consciousness. His rigorous study of the mind, the senses, and behavior laid the foundation for much of the psychological knowledge we take for granted today. 

Yet, Wundt’s insights extend beyond mere psychology - they reveal a profound understanding of human nature that marketers would do well to grasp.

Wundt’s theories - particularly his exploration of sensory experience, representation, willing and feeling, and the critical role of language and culture - offer a strategic framework for decoding how consumers perceive, interpret, and ultimately respond to the messages they are fed. 

To view marketing through this lens of consciousness is to understand the hidden currents of thought and emotion that drive consumer behavior. It is a path to crafting campaigns that are not merely noticed but that resonate, campaigns that align seamlessly with how people think, feel, and experience the world.

Wilhelm Wundt’s Sensory Experiments:

In his sensory experiments, Wilhelm Wundt sought to measure human consciousness with precision, refusing to accept it as an unknowable, subjective realm unique to each individual. 

He was relentless in his pursuit of understanding the mechanisms behind human perception, particularly in how the mind responds to stimuli. Wundt’s work focused on the time between receiving a stimulus and making a voluntary reaction, using instruments to capture the exact nature of this response.

What fascinated Wundt was not only individual differences but also the common threads of experience that his participants shared. 

He saw pure sensations as having three critical components: quality, intensity, and "feeling-tone." 

A sweet perfume, for instance, possesses a distinct quality, a faint intensity, and a pleasant feeling-tone, while the stench of decay might carry a nauseating quality, strong intensity, and repulsive feeling-tone.

For Wundt, consciousness arises from sensations, but these are not experienced as raw data. 

Instead, they are compounded into mental representations, reflections of the external world. A face is not just a collection of eyes, nose, and mouth - it becomes the recognizable image of a person. Through these representations, we navigate the world around us, constantly interpreting and reinterpreting sensations in our quest for meaning.

Recognizing Sensory Experiences in Marketing

Wilhelm Wundt believed that all consciousness is rooted in sensory experience, and this idea can be powerfully applied to marketing. 

According to Wundt, sensory experiences consist of three key components: quality, intensity, and feeling-tone. 

These elements, when understood and used strategically, can transform a brand’s messaging into something that deeply resonates with consumers, engaging both their senses and their emotions.

Quality: The distinct nature of a sensory experience defines its quality. In marketing, this concept translates to the unique identity of a brand - what sets it apart from the endless noise of the marketplace. The quality of your brand could lie in its design, sound, or appearance - whatever sensory attributes distinguish it from competitors.

Consider Tesla: Tesla’s marketing doesn’t just sell a car; it sells a radically different driving experience. The quiet power of its electric engines creates a sensory contrast to traditional gas-powered vehicles. This unique quality - the absence of engine noise, the sleek design - becomes a symbol of the brand’s forward-thinking identity.

Intensity: Wundt described intensity as the strength or impact of a sensory experience. In marketing terms, intensity is how loudly your brand’s message speaks amidst the competition. It’s not just about the volume but about leaving a memorable mark - whether subtle or bold - on the minds of consumers.

Take Nike’s campaigns, for instance: Their emotionally charged stories and striking visuals deliver a high-intensity message that isn’t easily forgotten. The intensity in Nike’s imagery - powerful athletes in motion, underdog stories of perseverance - demands attention and lingers in the mind, making the brand synonymous with empowerment and success.

Feeling-Tone: Feeling-tone refers to the emotional response a sensory experience triggers. Wundt recognized that emotions are central to how we process sensations, and in marketing, emotional branding leverages this by crafting messaging that evokes specific feelings. The emotional resonance of your brand - whether it inspires, comforts, or empowers - becomes the key to building deeper, lasting connections with your audience.

Think of Dove’s "Real Beauty" campaign: Dove doesn’t just sell soap; it sells confidence, self-esteem, and empowerment. By tapping into the emotional vulnerabilities of women who feel alienated by traditional beauty standards, Dove forges an emotional connection. The feeling-tone of the campaign is one of self-acceptance and empowerment, drawing customers closer to the brand through shared values and emotions.

By mastering Wundt’s principles of quality, intensity, and feeling-tone, marketers can create experiences that are not only sensory-rich but emotionally resonant. These experiences leave lasting impressions, transforming fleeting interactions with a brand into deep emotional connections.

How Brands Have Succeeded & Failed in Recognizing Sensory Experiences

Bang & Olufsen, the Danish purveyor of luxury audio and electronics, has mastered a subtle but powerful art: the manipulation of quality, intensity, and feeling-tone to craft a sensory experience that captivates and binds its audience. In marketing, as in strategy, these elements are your weapons, each carefully wielded to produce an irresistible allure.

The Power of Sensory Mastery: Bang & Olufsen

Quality is the foundation upon which Bang & Olufsen builds its empire. Their products are not mere electronics; they are works of art, designed with meticulous attention to detail. Every curve, every material - whether it’s the sleek aluminum or the rich, supple leather - speaks of refinement and exclusivity. In their marketing, B&O doesn’t just sell sound; they sell craftsmanship. Their advertisements feature homes as much as they do speakers, positioning the product as a status symbol, a piece of design meant to enhance your space, not clutter it.

Intensity is where Bang & Olufsen excels at leaving a lasting impact. The experience of their products is not subtle - it is commanding. Their ads are cinematic in scope, drawing you into a world of precision and power. The visuals are stark, the sound is immersive, and the overall experience is one of sensory overload - but not chaos. It is controlled, orchestrated, designed to make you feel as though you are witnessing something truly special. By amplifying the intensity of the sensory engagement, Bang & Olufsen etches its identity into the consumer’s psyche.

Feeling-Tone is the most delicate and dangerous tool. Use it poorly, and it becomes sentimental or manipulative. Use it well, as Bang & Olufsen does, and it elevates your product to something aspirational. The emotional resonance in their marketing is one of elegance, calm, and sophistication. Owning a B&O product is not about sound quality alone; it is about becoming part of a rarefied class. Their ads appeal to the consumer’s desire for self-elevation - to rise above the noise and the chaos of the modern world into a space of serenity and control.

By aligning quality, intensity, and feeling-tone, Bang & Olufsen creates an experience that transcends the product itself. It is a brand that does not just sell luxury - it embodies it.

The Failure of Misalignment: WeWork

Contrast this with the story of WeWork, a company that sought to create its own myth but collapsed under the weight of its contradictions. The lesson here is clear: if you misjudge these critical elements, your narrative falls apart.

Quality was the first to crack. WeWork promised a new kind of workspace - one that would be both cutting-edge and community-driven. But the reality did not match the vision. The quality of the spaces varied wildly, and the experience was inconsistent. What was promised as a revolution in work culture became nothing more than glorified office space. This gap between the promise and the product was a fatal misstep.

Intensity was WeWork’s undoing. Its messaging was loud, constant, and overbearing - an attempt to create urgency where there was none. They did not just promise office space; they promised to change the world, to transform lives. But the message outpaced the reality, and soon, the intensity of their claims clashed with the mundane truth of shared desks and coffee machines. What had seemed visionary began to appear delusional.

Feeling-Tone, too, was mishandled. WeWork attempted to foster a sense of belonging, community, and entrepreneurship, but this was a façade. Behind the marketing were steep fees, overcrowded spaces, and a lack of genuine care for the individuals they purported to serve. The feeling-tone they aimed for - of empowerment and community - crumbled under the weight of unmet expectations. Customers were left not feeling inspired, but exploited.

WeWork’s failure was not in its vision but in its execution. The elements of quality, intensity, and feeling-tone were misaligned, creating a disconnect between the promise and the reality.

The Lesson: The Delicate Art of Sensory Marketing

In the end, the story of Bang & Olufsen and WeWork illustrates a critical truth: to control the sensory experience is to control the mind of the consumer. 

Master the balance of quality, intensity, and feeling-tone, and you can create a brand that feels not only desirable but indispensable. But lose control of these forces, and the entire edifice collapses.

Wilhelm Wundt’s Categories of Consciousness:

From his sensory experiments, Wilhelm Wundt developed a theory of consciousness that breaks down human experience into three categories of action: representation, willing, and feeling. 

Together, these create a seamless flow of events in the mind, shaping how we perceive and respond to the world.

Representations can either be "perceptions" - images of objects in the external world, like a tree before your eyes - or "intuitions" - subjective activities like recalling a memory of a tree or conjuring the image of a unicorn. 

Wundt introduced the concept of "apperception," the mental process by which a perception or intuition rises to clarity in consciousness. 

For example, you hear a sudden loud noise and, through apperception, recognize it as a warning, compelling you to act - perhaps leaping out of the way of an oncoming car.

Willing, the second category, captures the power of volition. 

It is the expression of our will, manifesting in choices as mundane as raising an arm or as deliberate as selecting a specific color to wear. 

This force cannot be pinned down by scientific instruments; it escapes the grasp of experimental control, for it reflects the essence of human agency.

However, the third category - feeling - is where Wundt found measurable ground. 

Feeling, in contrast to will, could be quantified. 

It manifests in the emotional and physiological responses of the individual - tension, relaxation, excitement - and can be studied through subjective reports and observed behaviors. 

In this framework, Wundt sought to understand the interplay of these three forces - representation, willing, and feeling - as the building blocks of human consciousness.

Representation, Willing, and Feeling: The Triad of Consciousness in Marketing

Wundt, the master of dissecting the human mind, identified three distinct yet interconnected dimensions of consciousness: representation, willing, and feeling. 

These categories form a strategic framework, a hidden map, for how marketers can lead consumers from mere awareness to deep emotional attachment and decisive action. 

Understanding these levels of consciousness offers the marketer a powerful weapon in shaping consumer behavior.

Representation: Shaping Perception and Intuition

Representation is the first battleground. 

It refers to how people form mental images or intuitions based on what they perceive - what they see, hear, or experience. 

In marketing, this is where you plant the seed. 

The question is not just whether they notice your product, but whether they instinctively associate it with something greater - success, power, innovation, or belonging.

Example: Consider Apple, which transcends mere product representation. Its sleek devices are not just gadgets - they are symbols of creativity, sophistication, and cutting-edge design. The consumer doesn’t just buy an iPhone; they buy into a lifestyle, into an identity of modernity and innovation. In their minds, Apple has established itself as a beacon of status and ingenuity, a reputation cultivated through masterful representation.

Willing: The Art of Seamless Volition

Willing is where you take the raw material of perception and transform it into action - when the consumer crosses the threshold from observation to engagement, from curiosity to purchase. 

But this transition must be orchestrated with subtlety, ensuring that it feels inevitable, frictionless. The consumer should not even realize they are being guided - they must feel they are acting of their own volition.

Example: Amazon is a virtuoso in this realm. Their “one-click” purchase option, combined with personalized recommendations and streamlined shopping experiences, removes the barriers that typically inhibit action. The pathway from desire to purchase is so seamless that the consumer acts almost automatically, as if drawn by an invisible force. Amazon eliminates hesitation, making the leap from perception to action feel effortless.

Feeling: Tapping Into Emotional Resonance

Finally, we arrive at the domain of feeling - the most potent and dangerous force of all. 

Wundt understood that emotions guide human behavior far more than reason. 

Consumers are not driven by logic alone; they seek fulfillment, to satisfy deeper emotional cravings. When a brand taps into these desires, it becomes not just a product, but a pathway to transformation.

Example: Peloton has mastered this art. They do not sell exercise equipment; they sell personal reinvention. Their ads don’t just showcase a bike - they evoke pride, self-discipline, and the powerful sensation of belonging to a community of the elite, the determined, the successful. Buying a Peloton is not a purchase - it is an emotional journey toward an aspirational self.

Mastering the Triad of Consciousness

To dominate the minds of consumers, you must understand this triad - representation, willing, and feeling - and deploy it with precision. 

First, control the consumer’s perception, ensuring they don’t just see your product but feel its symbolic weight. 

Then, make the leap to action smooth and effortless, removing obstacles to volition. 

Finally, wrap your message in emotion, forging a deep connection that transforms the purchase into a personal victory.

In the end, marketing is not just about selling products. 

It is about controlling the flow of consciousness, guiding the consumer through each stage - from passive observer to willing participant, to emotionally invested devotee. By mastering these three dimensions, you gain the power to not just influence, but command the consumer's mind.

How Brands Have Succeeded & Failed in Mastering the Triad of Consciousness

Success Example: Glossier: The Subtle Art of Crafting Devotion

Glossier’s rise as a beauty empire is not merely the result of clever marketing; it is the careful execution of a strategy that plays directly into the human need for representation, willing, and feeling. 

In this, they have transformed passive observers into fiercely loyal devotees, using the psychology of desire as their weapon of choice.

Representation: Glossier understood early that their audience did not crave perfection - they craved authenticity, the ability to see themselves reflected in the brand. Unlike the heavy-handed glamour of traditional beauty brands, Glossier chose to represent itself as the embodiment of natural, effortless beauty. The brand is minimalist, modern, and raw, aligning with the values of self-care and authenticity that resonate deeply with the individualistic consumer. They do not sell makeup; they sell the image of a more honest self, free from the pressures of perfection. In this subtle manipulation, they align their brand with the very identity their audience seeks to embody.

Willing: Once you have captured someone’s imagination, the next challenge is converting that curiosity into action. Glossier removed the barriers between desire and decision by creating an effortless pathway to purchase. Their direct-to-consumer model, combined with user-generated content, peer reviews, and influencer endorsements, makes buying seem not like a choice, but an inevitability. Social proof becomes the fuel for the consumer's will, as they see real people - just like them - integrating Glossier products into their everyday lives. This seamless transition from observation to action is what turns potential customers into committed buyers.

Feeling: The true mastery of Glossier lies in their ability to tap into deeper emotions. Their campaigns are not just about beauty - they are about self-acceptance, empowerment, and inclusion. Through carefully crafted messaging like "Skin First, Makeup Second," Glossier makes their customers feel seen, valued, and part of a community. This emotional resonance is the key to loyalty, and loyalty is the key to power. Glossier customers do not simply buy makeup - they become ambassadors of the brand’s philosophy, spreading the word as part of a shared movement. It is not the product that captivates, but the emotional transformation it promises.

By skillfully orchestrating this journey from passive observer to active, emotionally invested advocate, Glossier has built a cult-like following - an empire founded on the manipulation of desire, trust, and self-image.

Failure Example: Google Glass: The Vision That Could Not Inspire

Google Glass offers a stark contrast - a cautionary tale of what happens when a brand fails to navigate the crucial stages of representation, willing, and feeling. It was a technological marvel that fell victim to its inability to forge an emotional connection with its audience.

Representation: At the heart of Google Glass’s failure was its confused identity. It did not offer a compelling representation of who the consumer would become by wearing it. Was it a tool for professionals? A gadget for technophiles? A status symbol of the future? The lack of clear representation doomed it from the start. Consumers need to see themselves in the product, to envision a version of themselves enhanced by its presence. Google Glass failed to provide this vision, leaving its audience indifferent or, worse, alienated.

Willing: Without a clear sense of identity, the leap from observer to buyer became fraught with obstacles. The product’s astronomical price, combined with its limited utility, made the purchase seem risky, even unnecessary. There was no sense of inevitability in owning Google Glass - it felt like a luxury for the curious elite, not a must-have for the everyday consumer. This hesitation, compounded by a poorly executed release, meant that very few were willing to commit. A brand that does not guide its audience toward action has already lost the battle.

Feeling: The final blow to Google Glass came from its failure to evoke the right emotions. Rather than inspiring feelings of innovation, empowerment, or belonging, it triggered discomfort and distrust. Privacy concerns arose almost immediately, and users wearing Glass were often ridiculed, branded with the derogatory label “Glassholes.” Instead of emotional attachment, there was emotional rejection. Consumers did not see Glass as a tool for their betterment, but as a threat to their privacy and an awkward symbol of technological overreach.

By neglecting to craft a compelling representation, make the path to purchase irresistible, and evoke the right emotional responses, Google Glass sealed its own fate. It is a lesson in what happens when a brand’s vision of the future fails to resonate in the hearts and minds of its audience.

The Art of Guiding Consciousness

What Glossier has mastered and Google Glass failed to realize is that consumers are not drawn to mere products - they are drawn to visions of themselves. Representation shapes the image they aspire to. Willing creates the action they must take to become that image. And feeling forges the emotional bond that keeps them loyal. It is this mastery of consciousness that determines whether your brand will stand as a beacon of desire or fade into the shadows of irrelevance.

Wilhelm Wundt on Cultural Psychology:

For Wilhelm Wundt, the psychological development of a person was not solely shaped by sensory experience, but deeply influenced by the social and cultural forces that surround them. 

These influences - religion, language, myths, history, art, laws, customs - were so essential to human consciousness that Wundt dedicated the last two decades of his life to exploring them in his monumental ten-volume work, Cultural Psychology. 

He understood that these elements, impossible to replicate or control in an experimental setting, were key to understanding how individuals think and act within a society.

Among these cultural forces, Wundt saw language as paramount. 

Language, he argued, plays a crucial role in how humans shape and express consciousness. It begins with what he called a "general impression," a unified idea that takes form in the mind before we attempt to articulate it. 

Through apperception, this raw impression becomes refined, leading us to select the precise words and sentences that best communicate our meaning. 

In this dynamic process, we constantly monitor and adjust our language to ensure clarity, often abandoning one word or phrase in favor of another to more accurately convey our intent. And while the specific words may fade from memory, the essence of the communicated message - the emotional and intellectual core - lingers.

This ability to use language in its full complexity, Wundt believed, is what separates humans from other animals. 

While some creatures, such as primates, may exchange signals or even grasp rudimentary language, only humans possess the full mastery of nuanced communication. 

It is through language that we bridge the internal world of thought with the external world of interaction, making it a cornerstone of human consciousness and the fabric of cultural life.

The Role of Language and Culture in Crafting Brand Consciousness

Wilhelm Wundt understood that language and culture are not mere accessories to human consciousness; they are its architects. 

In much the same way, the words a brand chooses and the cultural currents it taps into are the foundation upon which brand identity is built. 

Wundt taught us that language is not just about transmitting information but about shaping perception and evoking deep emotional responses - an insight that applies as much to the world of marketing as it does to psychology.

The Power of Language: Crafting an Emotional Landscape

Wundt argued that it is often the general impression we wish to convey that holds more weight than the specific words we use. 

This is where great brands triumph. 

They do not inundate the consumer with endless product details; they speak to the heart, crafting messaging that resonates at a deeper, more intuitive level.

Consider LinkedIn. It does not simply offer networking tools - it promises a future, using aspirational language like “Unlock your next opportunity” and “Connect to opportunity.” These words evoke ambition, professionalism, and success. The language creates a powerful association between using LinkedIn and rising to new heights in one’s career. By appealing to the desire for achievement, LinkedIn speaks to something far more fundamental than utility - it speaks to the human need for progress.

Cultural Alignment: Harnessing the Power of Shared Values

Wundt understood that culture - be it language, customs, or shared beliefs - plays a profound role in shaping consciousness. 

A brand that fails to align itself with the cultural values of its audience risks alienation, while those who master cultural alignment tap into a potent force of influence.

Patagonia, for example, is not just a retailer of outdoor gear. It is a cultural symbol for environmental activism. The brand’s commitment to sustainability resonates deeply with its audience, embedding Patagonia within a larger conversation about the future of the planet. Patagonia doesn’t just sell jackets; it sells the promise of ethical consumption, of standing for something greater than oneself. By aligning its identity with the environmental values of its consumers, Patagonia has woven itself into the very fabric of their beliefs, creating a bond that transcends the transactional.

Language and Culture as Tools of Power

Marketers must grasp that language and cultural alignment are not just tools for communication - they are instruments of power. 

The language you choose will either speak to the soul or fade into oblivion. 

The culture you align with will either ignite passion or remain irrelevant. 

Wundt’s insights remind us that to influence human consciousness, you must speak to the heart through language and to the mind through culture. Master these forces, and your brand will rise from mere product to symbol - a representation of the deeper aspirations and values of your audience.

How Brands Have Succeeded & Failed in Leveraging Language & Culture

Successful Example: Allbirds – Mastering the Subtle Language of Sustainability

Allbirds understood the power of language and cultural alignment from the very beginning. 

Its founders recognized that modern consumers crave more than just a product - they desire a connection to something larger, something meaningful. 

Allbirds transformed itself from a simple footwear brand into a symbol of environmental consciousness, a brand deeply entwined with the rising cultural movement toward sustainability.

The language Allbirds employed was not aggressive, nor did it preach. 

Instead, it was calm, reassuring, and aspirational. 

Phrases like “Made from nature, for nature” spoke to the consumer’s innate desire to do good in the world, to tread lightly on the Earth. 

This is a classic strategy of persuasion - speak to the soul, not the mind. Allbirds didn’t just list product features; it made consumers feel that by wearing its shoes, they were personally contributing to a grander cause: the preservation of the planet.

Even more masterfully, Allbirds embedded itself in the very fabric of the sustainability narrative. 

It didn’t just claim to be eco-friendly - it showed, through transparency, how its products were made from natural materials, and it educated consumers on the environmental impact of their choices. 

In doing so, Allbirds turned its customers into devotees of the cause, creating a tribe of individuals who wear their eco-consciousness as a badge of honor. 

This is the art of cultural alignment - planting your brand at the heart of a movement and turning consumers into willing participants in your narrative.

Failed Example: Gillette’s Misstep – The Perils of Misaligned Messaging

Gillette, on the other hand, stumbled in its attempt to use language and cultural alignment. With its 2019 “The Best Men Can Be” campaign, Gillette sought to harness the energy of the #MeToo movement, positioning itself as a moral force against toxic masculinity. 

But here, Gillette misunderstood a crucial law of human nature: people do not like to be lectured, especially by brands that have, until then, stood for something entirely different.

In an attempt to insert itself into the cultural conversation, Gillette adopted a tone that felt patronizing to many in its core audience. 

The language was accusatory, suggesting that all men were complicit in a culture of toxic behavior. 

This was a fatal misstep. 

Instead of inspiring change, Gillette alienated a significant portion of its consumers, who felt attacked rather than empowered. The backlash was swift - boycotts, protests, and social media outrage ensued. Gillette had miscalculated the delicate balance between message and audience, forcing a narrative that felt inauthentic and dissonant with its traditional identity.

This failure demonstrates the dangers of misaligned cultural messaging. 

Gillette’s attempt to reframe itself as a progressive, moral authority was out of step with the way its audience perceived the brand - a practical, no-nonsense provider of shaving products. By trying to force a new identity upon an unwilling audience, Gillette broke the trust it had spent decades building.

The Lesson: The Art of Cultural Alignment

Allbirds thrived because it understood that language must resonate with the inner desires of the audience and that cultural alignment must be authentic and natural. 

Allbirds didn’t force its way into the sustainability conversation - it became an embodiment of it. 

In contrast, Gillette failed because it imposed a narrative on its audience that felt foreign and disingenuous, violating the basic principle of alignment.

In the end, a brand must always remember that consumers will only follow if they feel the message reflects their own values. 

Speak the language of the times, align with the movements that stir your audience’s soul - but do so with subtlety and authenticity. 

Anything less, and you risk being cast aside as another manipulator, another brand that lost touch with the very people it sought to lead.

Conclusion: The Art of Shaping Marketing Consciousness

Wilhelm Wundt understood that human consciousness is not a passive entity - it is shaped by sensory experience, representation, willing, feeling, and language. 

As marketers, your task is far more subtle than simply presenting a product or service. 

It is about molding perceptions, playing upon emotions, and carefully guiding consumers toward decisive action.

But to do so effectively, you must penetrate beyond the surface, speaking not just to the intellect, but to the soul.

The true strategist knows that success lies in mastering the deeper currents of human psychology. 

The power of language is not in its literal meaning, but in how it shapes thought and behavior. Sensory experience, when manipulated artfully, can stir emotions in ways mere logic cannot. And cultural alignment, when achieved, binds your brand to the values, aspirations, and identities of your audience.

When these principles are combined, you achieve something far more profound than a simple transaction - you carve out a space in the minds of your audience, influencing not just what they buy, but how they see the world. 

In this, you create true loyalty, rooted in emotional connection. 

The master marketer, like the master strategist, ensures that their brand becomes inseparable from the aspirations of their followers. 

To occupy their consciousness is to control their actions, and in that, true power lies.