The Power of Branding: Hacking the Collective Consciousness
Jumpman
The iconic symbol created by Nike corporation to represent Michael Jordan
If you did not know that symbol, it is likely that you have been living under a rock for the last 35 years.
Everyone knows Jumpman.
Why?
Is it some "conspiracy" to get Jumpan into every home?
Well...kind of...
Marketing and "branding" are forms of what is called "social engineering".
From wikipedia:
"Social engineering, in the context of information security, refers to psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information. A type of confidence trick for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or system access, it differs from a traditional "con" in that it is often one of many steps in a more complex fraud scheme.
The term "social engineering" as an act of psychological manipulation is also associated with the social sciences, but its usage has caught on among computer and information security professionals.[1]"
Now, if you are not familiar with the term "social engineering" then I hate to break it to you, but a tremendous portion of your daily existence is spent trying to avoid organizations actively trying to manipulate you...
The easiest form of social engineering to point at is the news...
Why is the "breaking news" always in red?
Focus group testing...
Focus group testing is what marketing firms do to find out exactly what creates the desired reactions in viewers and readers...
Now, I am gonna back it up to the Jumpman symbol for a second...
When I was a kid, Jumpman was everywhere...
There was a full on campaign to use Bugs Bunny to sell "Jumpman" to the younger generation...
It worked...I remember very vividly trying to convince my mom that it was definitely worth $120 to get me the newest Jordans...
I have never been a dentist, but I am pretty sure I know what it is like to pull teeth...
Now, eventually my mom caved and got me the shoes...
I was ecstatic!
I thought that there was definitely going to be some improvement to my athletic abilities...maybe i would be able to run as fast as a rabbit because of the shoes?
Well...as a kid, when the "it's gotta be the shoes" mantra gets tested, you realize "it's DEFINITELY NOT THE SHOES"
While I was happy that the shoes were "unique" (in my tiny little mind), I felt deceived that my athletic performance did not improve...
I did not blame Nike...
I had not yet understood that I was sold the thought of prestige and prowess...and I bought it (using my parents' money obviously...because I was fucking 9 years old...gimme a break)
Then people started getting "Jumpan" cut into their hair as stencils...
Nike symbols, Jumpman...You could now rock them in your hair if your barber was good enough...
I asked my dad if he would let me get a Jumpman because at the time, I wanted to represent...
The symbols cost extra...
Now, I thought THAT was the reason that my dad said "no"...
But he gave me an explanation that stuck with me to this day...
He said "Boy, I am NOT paying for you to walk around here lookin like a fool wearing that silly symbol. You don't wear a symbol or a logo unless someone is PAYING you to do it or it is your own logo"
I was so mad...I was so angry...
I got my normal ass haircut that day, and with it I got a 24 hour-permafrown...
But with that haircut I also got a lifelong lesson in branding...
My dad was so ahead of the curve, that it is baffling to me...
Branding is everything...
If you are not wearing your own brand, you are wearing someone else's...
That is inescapable...
If you are not representing your OWN brand, you are representing someone else's brand...
In 2017, when brand identity and marketing are so much of an organization's public identity, an individual has a choice:
Either you develop and refine your own brand, or be stuck constantly representing the brand of someone else...
Make your "self" a brand.
If you are not making money off your "self", I can guarantee you that someone else is whether it is through mining your Internet activities and selling them to advertisers, or selling your medical records...
As the Internet of Things quickly approaches, do not forget the lesson that my father so wisely passed along to me:
Don't give your brand away for free, and don't represent brands that don't care about you
Take control of your brand
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_engineering_(security)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison_Avenue
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vance_Packard