Does your content speak to consumers' "belly mind"?

A jury member at the Cannes Film Festival, Jeremy Strong (aka. Kendall Roy in “Succession”, aka “King Lear re-visited”) shared how he as an actor watches movies for their “visceral immediacy and emotive power.”

(Click on the thumbnail to play the 30-second clip.)

Both literary references he brings up (the “belly mind” and “Seeing feelingly”) are powerful metaphors fully re-applicable to our lowly world of social media:

• Our data points to social content also being consumed first and foremost by our belly mind. Brands that take a rational, left-brain approach with their consumers on social remain locked out of that emotion-guided, preference-shaping mind.

• Shakespeare’s seeing “feelingly” is an insightful and timely reminder that if brands want to be “seen” on social and beyond, they must first be felt.

The primacy of feeling over mere visibility calls for an overhaul in KPIs: ditch overly simplistic media value- and exposure-led metrics in favour of alternatives that recognise the weight of transformative and longer lasting ‘belly mind’ interactions.

Last but not least, the enduring importance of the belly mind solidifies the case for Owned, while demystifying the role of Earned as a panacea. While all top posts fuel emotional connections, post comments show that Earned content primarily strengthens viewer connections to creators, while best-in-class Owned fuels emotional proximity with brands.

Earned-done-well remains a must to grow reach and consideration, but no one speaks to our belly minds the way great Owned does.

mb, May 23rd 2025