If faith moves mountains, it can also make us buy irrationally, as neuromarketing shows us. And best of all, that we do not feel remorse about it or have to confess to redeem our soul after the latest acquisition at the Apple Store.
There are market studies, focus groups and other procedures that try to ensure the shot when launching a product or a campaign. However, virtually all of these methods miss two fundamental facts, from my point of view. The first is that there is a big difference between what we think and what we say we think. The other is that on many occasions we don't even know what we think; our brain goes free. So we need a new paradigm that helps us better understand how our brain works; it's time for neuromarketing.
Neuromarketing comes into play
We are facing one of the most revolutionary disciplines that exist, related to the field of communication and human behavior. To demonstrate this, I would like to highlight The 10 commandments that religions share with brands, something that appears as a conclusion of several neuromarketing studies in which brain activity was measured when receiving stimuli of a mystical or religious nature (to a group of devotees), and on the other, the one registered (a group of brand fans) upon receiving stimuli related to them.
The results are fascinating and reveal the strongest pillars on which to build a powerful brand. Obviously, it is not enough to know them, but it is essential to apply and work on them systematically. They are as follows:
1. Sense of relevance
As Maslow already defined it in his famous pyramid of human needs, the third, in order of importance, is the one that refers to the feeling of belonging to a certain group. This group can be anyone in which we feel part of it. From the family, to a union, passing through the group of friends or that of fellow students. Well, then, the big brands make their faithful feel part of that group too. How they achieve it depends on the particular case, although if there is something that is common to all: they make the members of the group feel in a special way.
2. Clear vision
This point is clearly determined by the company and can be derived from the vision of the business that its founders have. Each company is created with a mission, values and a clear vision. Communicating the last of these points to employees and potential customers is a guarantee of success. The reason is very simple: if the message is clear, synthetic and leaves no doubt, it is much easier to recognize and follow than a fragmented message.
3. Power over enemies
It is "us versus them." It is about polarizing the public and asking them the following dichotomy: us or the rest? For this it is necessary to give arguments that reinforce why we are better than the rest. We can appeal to the virtues that make us different and / or better, or to the shortcomings of others. One such example is Apple's 2006 "Mac vs PC" campaign.
4. Sensory appeal
88% of the ads appeal to the eye, however we have other senses much more influential in our behavior that are spurred by the big brands (also by religions). Have you perceived the fragrance when entering the store of a large fashion firm or do you remember the feel of the sheets in that hotel that you liked so much? Most of the time they are almost imperceptible sensations, but capable of creating a strong impression on our senses, and by extension, on our brain. In a study on neuromarketing it was shown how music could influence the purchase of wines. It was found that when a melody easily identifiable as French was played in the music, French wines were sold more. When they changed the music for a strongly German style,German wines were the ones that managed to increase the number of sales.
5. Narratives
We like stories because they entertain us, but also because they help us remember. Surely you have heard about storytelling, which is nothing more than the ability to apply stories to the communication of brands or ideas. If we think for a moment of a priest's sermon or a fable by Aesop, we will quickly understand what we mean when we talk about stories. In the case of the pastor, use the narrative to preach the word of Jesus; the Greek uses them to explain morals. In the case of brands, they use stories to tell us the wonders of their products or to relate them to facets of our daily life whose relationship was not perceived by us.
6. Greatness
A Louis Vuitton store, the Camp Nou or the Notre Dame Cathedral: they all have in common the magnificence of their open spaces to the public. The effect it has on us mere mortals is shocking. It dwarfs us while placing the brand on almost heavenly terrain, unattainable as well as aspirational.
7. Evangelism
Big brands have big - and multiple - prescribers. They are faithful, convinced that they have made the right choice and try to convince others to follow in their footsteps. A loyal customer feels loved and automatically feels the moral duty to reciprocate the love that the brand shows by attracting new loyalists to its cause. In some religions this phenomenon is very evident, for example in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses.
8. Symbology
The identity elements that make up a brand are the gateway to a whole series of neural dances that unleash emotions and shopping desires. Possessing these elements makes us feel that we are part of something much more important than ourselves. Christians will worship the cross; others, a bitten apple.
9. Mystery
Who knows the formula for Coca-Cola? Is there or is it an invention unparalleled in the history of marketing? And what about the rumors that pointed out years ago that Red Bull contained bull semen? And the sauce from the Big Mac? What these well-known examples have in common is the mysterious secret ingredient that makes them up. This unknown side attracts us, just as paranormal phenomena or magic attract us.
10. Rituals
The big brands and I would say that all religions, at least the ones I know, have unique rituals that serve to identify them. However, the most interesting thing about rituals, from my point of view, is the reason for their existence. Here again, Freud's neuromarketing and psychoanalysis lend us a hand.
Rituals allow us to feel that we are in control of what happens around us, it is a way for our mind to protect itself in a world full of uncertainties. As human beings, we are coded to embrace rituals of whatever kind. Singing the anthem of a soccer team, uncorking a bottle of wine at an important celebration or having breakfast before starting the working day are acts that bring us peace and prepare us mentally and physically for the future of the day. They are the prologue to the important questions.
Some of the big brands have consumer rituals anchored in our minds. For example, the lemon from La Coronita, eating a Wooper with both hands or simply having to go through the entire store (and see the same products several times) before going to the IKEA checkout.
Bibliography
Next, Professor Roberto Pérez Marijuán from IEBS, an expert in Neuromarketing, makes an interesting introduction to this technique and explains how our brain responds to market stimuli.
