Book Club – Unconscious Branding by Douglas Van Praet

In this thought-provoking book club session, the team dives into Unconscious Branding by Douglas Van Praet—a marketing book that challenges the 100-year-old AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) and proposes a more modern, emotional, and behavior-driven seven-step process. From pattern interruption to shifting brand associations, the group explores how to apply these concepts to aviation marketing, high-ticket sales, and even electric cars in rural Australia. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or just curious about how unconscious behavior shapes decision-making, this conversation is full of rich insights and practical application.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Introduction to Unconscious Branding and the AIDA model

0:50 – Origins of AIDA and its limitations in modern marketing

2:00 – Breakdown of AIDA: Attention → Interest → Desire → Action

3:00 – Van Praet’s Seven Steps: A shift from linear logic to emotional engagement

4:30 – Clickbait and superficial attention in online content

6:00 – Why modern advertising must go beyond a single touchpoint

7:20 – Application in aviation marketing and multi-step campaigns

9:00 – Social media’s role in the first few steps—but not all seven

10:30 – Can this model work for direct mail? Examples beyond digital

12:00 – Real-world example: spotting the DBT aircraft and what that triggers

13:40 – Building a campaign flow: postcard → video → white paper → action

15:00 – Leading with safety as a way to create comfort

16:30 – Imagination and identity: “Could I actually own this aircraft?”

17:50 – Changing entrenched associations (e.g., brand loyalty to Mooney)

19:15 – Importance of personalized interaction in final decision-making

21:00 – Social media as the “tip of the spear,” not the whole strategy

22:30 – Non-linear journeys: buyers moving back and forth through steps

24:00 – Step 5 (Satisfy Critical Mind) as the pivot point in aviation sales

26:30 – Case study: a team member’s purchase behavior as a real-world example

29:00 – Why even after a sale, the marketing process continues

30:30 – Comparing AIDA to newer models (Buyer’s Journey, Hook-Story-Offer, etc.)

32:00 – Final thoughts on applying the Seven Steps in aviation

33:00 – Book ratings and what each person learned

35:00 – The emotional vs. rational balance in buyer behavior

39:00 – Why “call to action” too early = spam or clickbait

41:00 – The role of fear in marketing—and why “create comfort” matters

43:00 – Fear of innovation: electric vehicles, new aircraft, and cultural shifts

46:00 – Real story: Plug-in hybrid winning over skeptics in rural Australia

49:00 – Mistaking fear (Step 2) for logical objections (Step 5)

50:45 – Why book club conversations add more value than just reading

52:00 – Applying comfort-first thinking to public safety and aviation

54:00 – Final reflections: How do you identify the customer’s real fear?

58:00 – How to ask about objections without triggering defensiveness

59:10 – Wrap-up and appreciation