Summary

When awareness is high but preference is flat, the reflex is to bolt on features or cut price. Yet time and again, no one owns the feeling customers should have at the moment of choice. Codify an emotion‑anchored value narrative and preference becomes enduring — buyers decide emotionally, then justify rationally.

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Our Perspective

What this means for leaders navigating growth, change or transformation in their organisation.

The Real Competitor

In most categories, functional parity is now the norm. That’s why the quiet competitor isn’t another feature set; it’s indifference. Teams see solid awareness yet watch opportunities slip into delay, discount conversations, or no decision at all. The gap isn’t evidence; it’s feeling. Capgemini with Harvard Business Review notes that when people feel a bond, roughly eight in ten pick the brand; when that bond is weak, it drops to about four in ten. That’s preference you can’t spreadsheet into existence—it’s earned by meaning, then justified by logic.

Emotion, Deliberately

Emotion isn’t decoration; it’s how people reduce risk. In business markets especially, buyers seek confidence they’re choosing a partner who will help them look right internally and sleep better at night. That’s why the shift is from messaging features to designing a choice experience that lands a specific emotion linked to a measurable outcome.

At MistryX we call this a Trusted Choice Narrative: define the feeling you want to evoke at the moment of choice, and anchor it to outcomes you can consistently deliver. In our experience with leadership teams at inflection points, the breakthrough comes when they decide to own a specific feeling and back it with proof—turning a thousand claims into one credible promise.

Codify The Feeling

Treat the desired emotion as a product requirement, not a campaign theme. Codify it so it can be executed across brand, sales and service.

• Name the feeling (e.g., assured, in control), not vague inspiration.
• Tie it to a customer outcome you can evidence in real use.
• Build a proof architecture: 3–5 signals that telegraph the feeling at every touchpoint.
• Arm teams with language patterns that make buyers recognise themselves.

Measure What Moves

If you aim for feeling, measure for preference. Track signals that show the narrative is changing behaviour, not just generating interest.

• Choice-based metrics: win rate against like-for-like competitors; loss reasons shifting from price to fit.
• Pricing power and cycle time: fewer concessions and shorter decisions as confidence rises.
• Narrative consistency: qualitative recall in win/loss interviews of the exact emotion and outcome you set out to own.

Compete On Meaning

When you compete on features, you rent attention. When you compete on meaning, you build preference that travels from boardroom to renewal without constant re-justification. The work is disciplined: pick one feeling, make it true in the experience, and make it obvious in the story. Do this well and you convert uncertainty into momentum, giving buyers a reason to choose you today and to defend that choice tomorrow.

Sources:

Further Resources

1. Building Trust as a Competitive Advantage in Brand Strategy
2. The Strategic Advantage of Building a Distinctive Brand
3. Building Brand Loyalty for Long-Term Pricing Advantage

Curious how this applies in your market? We’re speaking with leaders across industries every week. Let’s talk.

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