Why People Really Buy: Will Leach on the Hidden Psychology Behind Great Brands

Why do customers really buy? In this episode of The Unified Brand Podcast, Chris sits down with Will Leach, behavioural scientist, founder of Mindstate Group, and bestselling author of Marketing to Mind States. Drawing on over 25 years of research, leadership at PepsiCo, and experience helping global brands understand consumer behaviour, Will reveals why most purchasing decisions happen subconsciously—and how brands can build deeper emotional connections by understanding what truly motivates people. The conversation explores the psychology behind buying decisions, why traditional market research often gets it wrong, how iconic brands create identity rather than simply sell products, and the behavioural science principles any business can apply to improve marketing, branding and customer engagement. They also discuss: Why emotions drive purchasing decisions Functional vs emotional vs aspirational branding The psychology behind Harley-Davidson, Nike and Disney Why customers rarely tell you the real reason they buy Behavioural biases that increase conversions Packaging psychology and visual persuasion The future of AI-powered customer personas How behavioural science is transforming marketing Whether you're a founder, marketer, brand strategist or business owner, this episode offers practical insights into how customers really think—and how your brand can communicate more effectively. Connect with Will Leach Website: Mindstate Group LinkedIn: Will Leach on LinkedIn Book: Marketing to Mindstates: A Practical Guide to Applying Behavior Design to Research and Marketing Learn about Bevi: Meet Bevi ----- Whether you’re a founder, marketing director, or business leader managing a growing brand across multiple teams or regions, this episode will help you identify the hidden friction points holding your brand back. Take the Brand Power Assessment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BrandPowerScore.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Brand Discovery Call:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe for more episodes focused on building stronger, smarter, and more unified brands. Watch podcast clips & deep dives on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elements Brand Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠