Leslie Zane

Leslie Zane is recognized as the pioneer of Instinct Marketing and is known for her contributions to brand strategy and behavioral science. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Business School, Zane began her career at companies including Bain, Procter & Gamble, and Johnson & Johnson, where she observed the inconsistent performance of traditional marketing initiatives. As a brand manager, Zane challenged industry norms by advocating that indirect messaging and positive associations are more effective predictors of purchase behavior than direct persuasion or consumer likes and dislikes.

Zane founded Triggers, the first brand strategy firm established by a woman, and developed the Triggers method, a proven approach for changing instinctive customer behavior and increasing market share. Triggers has become a resource for Fortune 100 companies seeking to shift resistant consumer perceptions and drive brand conversion. Zane’s work includes the "Real Food" strategy for McDonald's, the "Stop Hunger from Stopping You" campaign for Snickers, and contributions to brand positioning for Aquafina and Colgate Total's "Whole Mouth Health."

Zane’s approach focuses on influencing consumer decision-making by targeting instinctive, automatic behaviors. She has discussed the application of behavioral science in marketing, introducing the concept of the Instinct Advantage, which enables brands to accelerate topline growth by aligning with consumers’ subconscious decision processes. Triggers’ strategies have been implemented across industries such as consumer-packaged goods, health care, insurance, and social impact initiatives addressing racism and anti-Semitism.

Her TEDx talk, "The Hidden Link Between Success and the Subconscious," brought attention to her counterintuitive marketing philosophy and led to her book, "The Power of Instinct." The book outlines Zane’s methodology for bypassing the conscious mind to influence instinctive brand behavior. The Wall Street Journal described it as "useful advice" and a "masterclass in understanding and leveraging the instinctive mind."

Zane is an alumna of Yale, Harvard Business School, and Bain & Company, and has received the Congressional Women of Distinction and the Ogilvy Award. Her proprietary methodology has been published in Harvard Business Review, Knowledge@Wharton, MIT Sloan Review, Forbes, Ad Age, and Scientific American. Zane coined the term Covidstasis to describe the enduring effects of the pandemic, including hybrid work and economic shifts. She serves on the boards of El Centro Hispano and CURATE 360, supporting Hispanic immigrants and minority-owned businesses in branding and business growth.