06/18/2026
Most businesses focus on improving their product.
But what if the real opportunity is improving how people perceive it?
I’m currently reading Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy by Phil Barden, and one idea keeps coming back to me:
People don’t buy products objectively.
They buy based on perceived value.
That’s why two businesses can offer nearly identical products or services and get completely different results.
The difference isn’t always what they’re selling.
It’s often how customers experience, understand, and evaluate what they’re selling.
In this carousel, I’m sharing 7 ideas from the first few chapters that help explain why people buy, how brands influence decisions, and why perception plays such a critical role in marketing.
If you’re investing in marketing, these concepts matter because they influence every touchpoint: your website, your visuals, your messaging, your pricing, and ultimately, your sales.
P.S.: our name is misspelled on all 9 slides. PLAUYGOURDN. Did you catch it before the last slide? Most people won't, and that's idea #4 in action. Your brain reads the shape of a word, not every letter, and fills in the rest on autopilot. Not fixing it. Best proof of the concept we could ask for. 🙂
