How Frank Sinatra Can Teach You Marketing.
The Power of Narrative and Perception
Frank Sinatra didn’t start as the man everyone adored. He was just another performer trying to get noticed. But his publicist understood something most brands still miss today: perception creates reality.
At one of Sinatra’s earliest shows, his publicist did something brilliant. He auditioned women to scream during his performance. Not fans. Hired screamers.
And when those girls screamed, the rest of the audience joined in. The room exploded. The story began: Frank Sinatra was the next big thing.
The brilliance wasn’t in the music. It was in the feeling.
People Don’t Follow Logic. They Follow Signals.
The heartbreaking truth is: nobody wants to be the first to love something. Everyone wants to belong to something already loved.
Sinatra’s screams created a social signal. They told the crowd, this is something worth being excited about. That moment flipped a switch in people’s minds. From then on, Sinatra didn’t have to convince anyone he was great. The crowd already believed it.
That’s marketing. Not the campaign. Not the product. The signal.
The same principle made Red Bull, Jo Malone, and Bumble famous.
Red Bull placed empty cans in bars and clubs so it looked like everyone was drinking it.
Jo Malone sent people around London carrying empty branded bags, creating the illusion that everyone was shopping at her store.
Bumble printed posters with bold X marks next to the logos of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and then added a Bumble logo with an X next to it too. Everyone knew the first three. Nobody knew the last one. Curiosity took over. People joined Bumble our of FOMO.
These aren’t lies. They’re narrative control. They turn perception into momentum.
Perception Creates Reality
When you control the narrative, you control perception.
When you control perception, you control attention.
When you control attention, you control demand.
That’s the chain.
Most startups and SMEs in the UAE and the Arab world miss this link. They build great products, talk about their products and themselves, then let everyone else write their story. While competitors control perception. The market believes the loudest brand, which is not necessarily the best one.
Perception is not a trick. It’s storytelling at scale. It’s shaping how people feel before they think.
Feelings Drive Action
Every great brand wins by owning an internal problem, a feeling people already have but rarely say out loud.
Apple sells control in a chaotic world.
Nike sells belief when you doubt yourself.
Red Bull sells energy to people afraid of missing out.
And Sinatra? He sold belonging.
When people screamed for him, they weren’t reacting to the music. They were reacting to themselves, to being part of something electric, rare, and communal.
That’s what startups and brands should aim for: create a feeling people want to participate in. Make them feel seen. Give them a role in the story.
Control the Story. Control the Market.
If you want a simple and effective marketing strategy, start with this:
Find the feeling your brand owns.
Build your message around it.
And create a moment that signals it to the world.
You don’t need a massive budget. You need a sharp story and a consistent signal. That’s how Sinatra turned perception into a legacy.
So ask yourself:
What internal problem or feeling does your brand own?
If you need help finding it, clarifying it, and turning it into a growth-driven marketing strategy, click the 'Let's Talk' button below.
