The science of brands, tribes
..... and almost everything else human
Social branding and bonding
or We and Us and They and Them
We identify ourselves as members of a social group by the decisions we make on what we wear, what we buy, how we behave and who we interact with, both positively and negatively.
People make decisions mainly driven by what a group they feel part off regard as norms.
For example, the main driver in people deciding to buy solar panels is not saving the planet or that they save money.
What increases the chances of someone buying solar panels is whether or not their neighbor has.
One single solar panel installation within a mile increased the chances of other panels being installed by almost 50%.
Interestingly if you ask people why they invested in green energy they will tell you their reasoning, using logic to justify what is, really, an emotionally driven decision.
But, of course, you aren't affected by this kind of irrational thinking. Really?
Remember the last time you saw someone driving a car the same make and color as yours. Why did you feel a bond with them, that you shared something in common?
Because you can't help it. It goes with being human. It is our most fundamental emotional driver.
It's why things like drunk driving, gladiatoral contests to the death, are no longer generally socially acceptable. But also why obesity, smoking, sadness and suicide are contagious.
It's also why we show bias towards people like us, ingroups and we discriminate against others, outgroups.
Why?
Because we place twice the importance on making a loss as compared to making a profit. It's an evolutionary thing.
A loss does not have to be financial. A good real life example of this is that professional golfers are more likely to make a putt for par rather than for a birdie or eagle.
For most of our history money didn't exist. Instead, far more importantly, would be a loss of status or rejection by a group.
Groups are better than individuals at survival. They protect, feed and defend each other. Banishment and isolation has always been regarded as a terrible, almost certainly fatal, ignominious punishment
So we come preprogrammed to cooperate with people with whom we share something, almost anything, family, a nationality, a football team, stamp collecting, gardening, a philosophy, make of car, job title, a brand, etc. etc....
The Internet of Brands
Since the advent of the Internet brands have become less influential. Why? Because there are too many choices that are fundamentally the same.
Brands are increasingly being seen simply as commodities, only differentiated by price.
We can help you avoid that fate.
Near Field Communication relies on the very human sense of touch. We use touch to explore and interact with our world. We even have a 'sixth sense', called proprioception, based on touch, that lets us find things without being able to see them.
What works for your brand will depend on your understanding of how you can better interact with your customers.
We can give you options so you can make informed choices.
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