Consumers are sophisticated, they know when they’re being marketed and sold to.

Even though people want to buy things to solve their problems and satisfy their desires, we also have powerful filtering mechanisms that shift attention away from messages that are “selling” to us.

Rather than a direct benefit-oriented sales approach, an indirect method is used to spark interest, build trust, establish shared identity, and prove authority before the offer is made.

You might say all those pieces of the indirect method are part of brand building.

via Leading Expert