"Every purchase is emotional—whether it's B2B, B2C, or B2B2B," says Jamie Schwarz, founder of BrandTherapy.coach. In a conversation with Doug Green, publisher of Technology Reseller News, Schwarz explains how brand identity, authenticity, and emotional resonance shape purchasing decisions—even in highly technical industries.

What is Brand Therapy?

Schwarz, a former creative director at major NYC ad agencies, discovered that traditional branding strategies often led to hypocrisy—brands saying one thing but doing another. Instead of just creating aesthetic identities and taglines, he developed Brand Therapy, a coaching-based approach that helps businesses:

Define their true mission & purpose – Ensuring their branding aligns authentically with their business values.

Develop a “brand voice” – Creating an internal dialogue that guides decision-making across all departments.

Maintain continuous product-market fit – Positioning the brand as an evolving entity that stays relevant as customer needs change.

"Your brand should act as your Chief Purpose Officer—guiding decisions, messaging, and product evolution," says Schwarz.

B2B Branding: More Important Than Ever

Many believe branding is less relevant in the B2B world, especially for companies selling complex technology solutions like UCaaS, CPaaS, and cloud services. However, Schwarz challenges this assumption, explaining that even engineers and technical buyers make emotional purchasing decisions. "B2B sales have changed. Buyers do their own research now, often using AI. If your brand isn’t actively shaping the conversation, AI will do it for you," Schwarz warns.

Trust & Security – Buyers need to feel safe about their decisions, especially in critical technology investments.

Personal Pride – Decision-makers want credit for bringing in the best solution to their company.

Relational Media – The rise of AI-powered customer interactions means brands are always in conversation—whether they realize it or not.

Conversational AI: The Brand Voice You Didn’t Know You Had

One of the most overlooked branding challenges today is AI-powered customer interactions. Many companies deploy AI chatbots without realizing they are creating a persistent brand voice. "AI is your brand voice—whether you planned for it or not. Companies must proactively define how they want to sound, feel, and interact," says Schwarz.

Every AI-driven conversation is an interaction with your brand.

The brand’s “tone of voice” now lives in automated conversations.

Companies must align AI, sales, and marketing messages to maintain trust.

Shifting the Focus: Selling Benefits, Not Features

For marketing teams preparing their big 2024 and 2025 product announcements, Schwarz offers a critical mindset shift:

Don’t announce what your product does. Announce how it helps the customer.

Avoid technical jargon—highlight how the solution will make the buyer’s life easier.

Tell a story where the customer is the hero, not the brand.

"Your big announcement is not about you. It’s about how the customer benefits. Frame it that way, and you’ll make a bigger impact," Schwarz advises.

Brand Therapy: A Coaching Approach to Branding

Unlike traditional branding agencies that focus on external storytelling, Brand Therapy takes a coaching-based approach, guiding businesses through deep brand exploration.

Sessions with brand stewards to define mission, purpose, and voice.

Long-term alignment to ensure brand authenticity.

Tactical advice on messaging, sales enablement, and AI integration.

"Don’t just tell a story. Live it. Your brand needs to be authentic in action, not just in messaging," says Schwarz.

Learn More About Brand Therapy www.BrandTherapy.coach

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