How Great Brands Stick: Ulli Appelbaum on Brand Associations, Memory & Growth episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 9, 2026 · 44 MIN

How Great Brands Stick: Ulli Appelbaum on Brand Associations, Memory & Growth

from The Unified Brand - Branding Podcast · host Elements Brand Management

What makes a brand truly stick?In this episode of The Unified Brand Podcast, Chris welcomes back brand strategist, author and founder of First The Trousers, Then The Shoes, Ulli Appelbaum, to unpack the science behind brand associations and why they play such a powerful role in growth.Udi explains how brands are built in memory, why emotion and relevance matter more than most marketers realise, and how strong association networks influence what customers choose in the moment of purchase.They explore:what brand associations actually arewhy memory, emotion and personal relevance drive brand choicehow positioning connects to associationsthe role of distinctive brand assets like packaging, sound and shapewhy consistency beats constant reinventionhow brands like Coke, Nutella, Red Bull, Snickers and Ferrero Rocher create lasting mental availabilitywhy some newer brands hook attention but struggle to sustain loyaltyThis is a practical conversation for founders, marketers and business leaders who want to build brands that are not just seen, but remembered.Connect with Ulli AppelbaumWebsite: https://first-the-trousers.com/ulli-appelbaum/Consultancy: https://first-the-trousers.com/LinkedIn (Ulli Appelbaum): https://www.linkedin.com/in/ulliappelbaumLinkedIn (First The Trousers Then The Shoes): https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-the-trousers-then-the-shoesExplore Ulli’s BooksAmazon Author Page (UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B09RMLG5BKAmazon Author Page (US): https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09RMLG5BK-----------------👉 Take the FREE 4-Minute Brand Power Assessment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brand Power Scorecard⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch podcast clips & deep dives on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elements Brand Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Other Social ChannelsYouTube - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB1DttwtvyIL5wOAewMSeRw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/elementsbrandmanagement/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ElementsBrandManagement/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ElementsBrand ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/36BQX00⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Brand Development ResourcesHow strong is your brand? Take our brand assessment and find out - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/2VksUSj⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brand Building Course - Learn how to build a magnetic brand that stands out from the competition and grows your business - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/2Zw5dos⁠⁠⁠

What makes a brand truly stick?In this episode of The Unified Brand Podcast, Chris welcomes back brand strategist, author and founder of First The Trousers, Then The Shoes, Ulli Appelbaum, to unpack the science behind brand associations and why they play such a powerful role in growth.Udi explains how brands are built in memory, why emotion and relevance matter more than most marketers realise, and how strong association networks influence what customers choose in the moment of purchase.They explore:what brand associations actually arewhy memory, emotion and personal relevance drive brand choicehow positioning connects to associationsthe role of distinctive brand assets like packaging, sound and shapewhy consistency beats constant reinventionhow brands like Coke, Nutella, Red Bull, Snickers and Ferrero Rocher create lasting mental availabilitywhy some newer brands hook attention but struggle to sustain loyaltyThis is a practical conversation for founders, marketers and business leaders who want to build brands that are not just seen, but remembered.Connect with Ulli AppelbaumWebsite: https://first-the-trousers.com/ulli-appelbaum/Consultancy: https://first-the-trousers.com/LinkedIn (Ulli Appelbaum): https://www.linkedin.com/in/ulliappelbaumLinkedIn (First The Trousers Then The Shoes): https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-the-trousers-then-the-shoesExplore Ulli’s BooksAmazon Author Page (UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B09RMLG5BKAmazon Author Page (US): https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09RMLG5BK-----------------👉 Take the FREE 4-Minute Brand Power Assessment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brand Power Scorecard⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch podcast clips & deep dives on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elements Brand Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Other Social ChannelsYouTube - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB1DttwtvyIL5wOAewMSeRw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/elementsbrandmanagement/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ElementsBrandManagement/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ElementsBrand ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/36BQX00⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Brand Development ResourcesHow strong is your brand? Take our brand assessment and find out - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/2VksUSj⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brand Building Course - Learn how to build a magnetic brand that stands out from the competition and grows your business - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/2Zw5dos⁠⁠⁠

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How Great Brands Stick: Ulli Appelbaum on Brand Associations, Memory & Growth

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What makes a brand truly stick?In this episode of The Unified Brand Podcast, Chris welcomes back brand strategist, author and founder of First The Trousers, Then The Shoes, Ulli Appelbaum, to unpack the science behind brand associations and why they...

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