Remember the guy in Trading Up who spent $1,000 for a new set of golf clubs because he believed they would make him a better golfer? According to the results of a research study that were released last month, those clubs will help him hit the ball farther and more accurately— not because his new clubs are any better than his old set, but because the brand position of the new clubs told him they would.

Think about it. The upmarket brand position convinces him to pay a premium for the clubs, and because he paid a premium, he becomes a better golfer. What’s going on here?

Using wine (a product that most people derive enjoyment from) and price (an easy to understand indicator of perceived quality), a joint Stanford-Caltech research team used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to monitor what happens to the brain when perceived quality is altered. And what did these brain scans show? Brand mojo actually affects the molecules. Consumers experience greater physical and chemical enjoyment (and a greater functional benefit) when they perceive the brand to be more upmarket — even if it’s an inferior product.

In other words, the way you position your brand has more impact on the consumer’s real experience with it than the quality of the product or service that you deliver. Well-positioned, inferior brands provide a better consumer experience than poorly-positioned brands of superior quality.

Is this research real? Can the way you position it, package it, talk about it, price it, distribute it and sell it change its physiological affect on the consumer? Do your efforts to move perception upmarket translate into reality?

Here are the facts. You be the judge.