What is the role of a brand?

Tim Ferriss, through his discussion with Debbie Millman on the role of brands, highlights how brands deeply impact human behavior by fostering a sense of connection and belonging. Brands create "intimate worlds" where individuals can understand their environment, assert their identity, and feel like they belong to a larger community. According to Millman, people often purchase brands to feel a part of specific tribes, such as wearing Nike to align with the tribe of athletes. This tribal connection can confer a comfort of identity, especially in a world where physical and emotional connections are often lacking. The influence of brands taps into the mammalian brain, the part associated with instincts and emotions, leading to choices that transcend logical thinking. Thus, brands significantly shape our identities and our ways of interfacing with the world around us 1.