Cresencia Chiremba
In Zimbabwe’s mass markets, the competition is fierce and attention spans are fleeting, the real currency of business isn’t just price or product—it’s memory.
Not the kind stored in spreadsheets or loyalty cards, but the emotional imprint left by a service moment. A greeting. A gesture. A tone of voice.
These are the fragments that shape brand psychology, and they linger far longer than any billboard.
We often talk about brand visibility, but what about brand feeling? What does your customer feel when they walk away from your counter, your office reception, your WhatsApp chat? That feeling is your brand. And it’s not built in boardrooms—it’s built in the everyday.
Take the story of a woman in Norton who visited a local pharmacy with her mother.
The shelves were stocked, the prices fair. But what she remembered—what she told her neighbors—was the way the attendant gently explained the dosage in Shona, then repeated it in English for her mother’s caregiver.
That moment of care became the brand. Not the logo. Not the receipt.
Brand psychology is the study of these moments. It asks: What do people associate with your name? Is it trust? Is it confusion?
Is it warmth or indifference? And more importantly, how do you design for the feeling you want to leave behind?
Design is the key word here. Emotional impact isn’t accidental—it’s intentional. It’s in the way your staff greet customers.
It’s in the clarity of your signage. It’s in the dignity of your waiting area. Every detail either builds trust or erodes it.
In my work with service teams, I’ve seen how small shifts—like using real customer names in training scenarios, or celebrating frontline staff with visual recognition cards—can transform internal culture and external perception.
When staff feel seen, they serve with pride. When customers feel respected, they return with loyalty.
But brand psychology isn’t just about feelings—it’s about memory.
And memory is sticky. A single rude encounter can stain a brand for years. A single act of kindness can redeem it.
That’s why businesses must invest not just in marketing, but in meaning. What does your brand mean to the people who use it?
This is especially urgent in healthcare, where the stakes are high and the emotions raw. A clinic may offer excellent clinical care, but if the receptionist is dismissive, the brand suffers. Conversely, a modest surgery with warm, clear communication can become a community anchor.
So how do we build brands that are remembered for the right reasons?
– Train for empathy, not just efficiency. Scripts don’t build trust—human connection does.
– Design for clarity. Confusing signage, unclear pricing, or jargon-heavy communication erodes confidence.
– Celebrate service moments. Share stories of dignity and care in your internal bulletins, your WhatsApp groups, your community boards.
– Ask your customers. What do they remember? What made them feel safe, respected, valued?
Brand psychology isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. In a market flooded with choice, the businesses that win are the ones that feel different. Not louder. Not cheaper. Just more human.
*Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a Marketing, Sales & Customer Service Consultant. For suggestions and training, contact her at info@customersuccess.co.zw or +263 712 979 461 / 0719 978 335 / 0772 978 335