Why Most B2B Branding Fails: The 86% Correlation Most Brand Ignore
2026/05/19 | 58 mins.
Brand strategist and author of Brand Desire, Kevin Perlmutter, joins Howie Chan to reveal why the strongest brands don’t just communicate value. They create emotional connection.
Drawing from behavioral science, customer psychology, and years of brand strategy experience, Kevin explains how brands can move beyond corporate jargon and surface-level messaging to uncover the emotional motivations that truly drive human behavior. From “limbic sparks” and subconscious associations to brand messaging and customer experience design, this conversation breaks down how great brands become unforgettable.
You’ll learn why emotional insight matters more than demographics, how subconscious associations influence decision-making, and why most B2B brands fail to connect with the people they’re trying to reach. Kevin also shares practical frameworks any business can use to create stronger customer relationships, more resonant messaging, and brand experiences people actually want to return to.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00:00 The 3 Pillars of Brand Desire
00:09:21 “Limbic Sparks” in Brand Strategy
00:14:33 The Behavioral Science Discovery That Changed Kevin’s Career
00:16:44 The 86% Correlation Most Brands Ignore
00:24:36 AI & the Missing Emotional Connection
00:28:26 The Biggest Mistake B2B Brands Make
00:34:35 Fear-Based Marketing vs. Positive Emotional Connection
00:44:27 Identifying Shared Emotional Motivation Between Stakeholders
00:46:13 Aligning Customer Experience With Brand Promise
00:51:54 The 3 Question Framework Every Business Should Ask
Want to make influencing human behavior your company's superpower? Connect with me at howiechan.com/speaking and let's talk!
What’s Your Influence Style? What do you do when you need someone to do something?
This quiz will help you discover what is your most natural influence style, so you can use that strength more effectively (and know your blind spots).
→ https://www.influencestylequiz.com/
Join 700+ leaders who've already uncovered what their style is.
Episode Resources:
Check out my episode with David Aaker here — or just go to episode 79.
From Our Guest:
Website
LinkedIn
YouTube
Instagram
Brand Desire by Kevin Perlmutter
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Produced by Ideablossoms
“Brand Your Secret Sauce!” The Father of Branding Reveals The #1 Mistake Businesses Make Again and Again
2026/05/12 | 58 mins.
Howie Chan interviews marketing icon David Aaker, widely regarded as the father of modern branding, to unpack the true drivers of brand equity — what a brand’s worth.
In this episode, brand storytelling takes center stage as Aaker breaks down the myths around branding and reveals what actually influences customer decisions in modern days.
From brand relevance to the power of loyalty, Aaker explains why branding goes far beyond awareness and image. He introduces his “Five B’s” framework and shows how brands shape both buying decisions and user experiences.
You’ll learn why storytelling in marketing is one of the most effective tools in today’s cluttered and skeptical landscape, how to craft signature stories that captivate audiences, and why most companies are underutilizing their greatest competitive advantage: their “secret sauce.”
00:30:30 The #1 Mistake Businesses Make with Branding
00:33:04 Uniqlo’s Example of Branding Differentiation and Innovation
00:52:26 High-Profile Branding Failures
00:57:09 Final Advice: “Brand Your Secret Sauce”
From David Aaker:
Website
LinkedIn
Take a look at David’s books mentioned in this episode:
Aaker on Branding: Second Edition
Creating Signature Stories
Owning Game-Changing Subcategories
Brand Portfolio Strategy
Check out my conversation with Matt Sucha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evkin9z6Z4w
What’s Your Influence Style? What do you do when you need someone to do something?
This quiz will help you discover what is your most natural influence style, so you can use that strength more effectively (and know your blind spots.)
→ https://www.influencestylequiz.com/
Join 700+ leaders who've already uncovered what their style is.
—
Produced by Ideablossoms
S.U.P.E.R: The INFLUENCE FORMULA That Will Get You More Deals (and what to do when you hear NO)
2026/05/05 | 8 mins.
In this solo episode, Howie Chan breaks down the true meaning of influence and why most people misunderstand it. Rather than focusing on persuasion, communication, or attention, Howie reveals that real influence comes down to one thing: changing human behavior.
Through a simple but powerful framework, Howie explains why people don’t take action — and how leaders, founders, and professionals can finally unlock consistent results. You’ll learn the critical difference between motivation and friction, and why adding more effort often backfires when trying to influence outcomes.
This episode dives into practical applications for both personal development and influencing others, from building better habits to closing clients more effectively.
Chapters:
00:01:12 What Influence Really Is (and Why Most Get It Wrong)
00:03:36 The Core Formula: Less Friction + More Motivation
00:05:20 The “SUPER” Friction Framework
00:08:12 Applying the Formula to Any Situation
Check out my conversation with Dr. Robert Cialdini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8joK8ViLneY&t=48s
Check out my conversation with Matt Sucha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evkin9z6Z4w
The Behavioring Blueprint:
A FREE, 7-day email course breaking down all the levers to influence human behavior to get people from a current behavior to a desired behavior.
→ http://howiechan.com/behavioring
What’s Your Influence Style? What do you do when you need someone to do something?
This quiz will help you discover what is your most natural influence style, so you can use that strength more effectively (and know your blind spots.)
→ https://www.influencestylequiz.com/
Join 700+ leaders who've already uncovered what their style is.
Tech Humanist: AI Skills That Make You 28% More Valuable in The Marketplace (and the TRUTH about AI Job Loss)
2026/04/28 | 1h 24 mins.
Tech Humanist Kate O’Neill joins host Howie Chan to unpack the real truth behind AI strategy and why most organizations get it wrong from the start. Kate has spent her career helping leaders navigate AI ethics, responsible tech, and human-centric digital transformation.
In this episode, Kate breaks down why starting with tools instead of purpose leads to failure, and how “prompt skills” are becoming the most important capability in today’s workforce. She reframes AI not as a replacement for thinking, but as a mirror that exposes how clearly you think, communicate, and lead.
You’ll learn how to use AI to sharpen your thinking, improve emotional intelligence, and enhance human connection rather than dilute it.
Episode Resources:
Download the four master storytelling prompts here.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00:00 The Intersection of Technology and Humanity
00:08:30 The Real Fear Employees Have About AI (and What’s True)
00:11:02 Prompt Skilling vs. Prompt Engineering
00:16:27 How Technology Shapes Culture and Behavior
00:19:58 Human + AI Collaboration Done Right
00:24:27 Why Most AI Strategies Fail
00:33:34 AI Replacing Jobs: The Real Story
00:43:45 Using AI to Improve Emotional Intelligence
00:47:17 The Danger of Over-Relying on AI Outputs
00:55:28 AI and Creativity
00:59:20 Incorporating AI Into Your Small Business
Want to make influencing human behavior your company's superpower? Connect with me at howiechan.com/speaking and let's talk!
From Our Guest:
Website
LinkedIn
Youtube
Facebook
Instagram
TEDx Talk
Check out my episode with Michael Margolis here.
See Kate’s audition form here.
Learn more about Office Space here.
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Produced by Ideablossoms
Linkedin Five: The 5-Step System to Build Influence, Generate Opportunity & Win on LinkedIn in 2026
2026/04/21 | 20 mins.
In this solo episode, Howie Chan shares his proven LinkedIn framework — the "LinkedIn 5" — five essential moves to grow your brand or business on the platform, whether you're starting from zero or finally ready to get serious.
Most people fail on LinkedIn not because they lack ideas or experience, but because they don't know what game they're playing.
Howie breaks down the three LinkedIn games — creator, business owner, and executive — and explains why mixing them up is the #1 reason people feel stuck, burned out, and invisible.
You'll learn how to optimize your profile as a high-converting landing page, how to get in front of the right audience without a single follower, and the counterintuitive content strategy that lets you win fast by using what already works.
Chapters:
00:01:24 The 3 LinkedIn Games (and How to Pick Yours)
00:03:33 Your Profile as a Landing Page
00:09:56 How to Find Your Audience Before You Have Followers
00:12:27 The Pro Move Most People Ignore
00:13:31 Match Your Content to Your Game 00:17:46 Full Recap
What’s Your Influence Style? What do you do when you need someone to do something?
This quiz will help you discover what is your most natural influence style, so you can use that strength more effectively (and know your blind spots.)
→ https://www.influencestylequiz.com/
Join 700+ leaders who've already uncovered what their style is.
The #1 podcast on applied influence psychology. Each episode, I sit down with the world's leading experts and practitioners to uncover the hidden psychology that helps you influence yourself (mastering your mindset, habits, and decisions) and get buy-in from others (branding, storytelling, negotiating etc.). Together, we turn science into playbooks you can apply to lead, persuade, and create extraordinary success.
Hosted by Howie Chan, this show features top human behavior experts, best-selling authors, influential marketers, and elite performers sharing proven strategies for branding, storytelling, sales, and ultimately, influence.
Whether you're building your value proposition, refining your speaking skills, or learning communication skills for leaders, each episode delivers actionable insights to elevate your brand and career. From storytelling in marketing to career reinvention, discover influencer strategies that help you stand out, connect, and lead with impact.
Perfect for entrepreneurs, executives, and anyone ready to grow their influence and authority.
South Africa