We feel it in our bones. It is there whether we would like to admit it or not. My brain looks like New York’s Times Square filled with all the brands that made it to the enormous billboards on my brain cells. We are hypnotized to believe that some brands are untouchable and should be put on a pedestal. That is all thanks to brand gurus like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk & Hollywood. We are no longer objective thinkers when it comes to picking our phone, bag, and clothing brands. We are sentimental, and we have a low brand EQ. Our brand emotional intelligence is zero because today everything we do is based on past experience, memories and nostalgia. I say this because I was Mr. Apple, before the first iphone, way before most people in the region I lived knew what an Apple computer was. I was infatuated by Steve Jobs’s way of speaking and presenting. He is the best marketer I’ve ever seen. He imbedded Apple into our DNAs. I knew that because years later, I was a PR consultant for Samsung from the S7 all through to the Note9. Somehow I changed to a Note8 and I felt it, separation anxiety. Later on that gave me the courage to look passed Apple computer and buy a Huawei laptop, yes a Huawei laptop.
So what is it? Why are brands like Apple so magical? What makes LV bags better than most bags, and why do we feel an almost magnetic appeal when we see those products for the very first time? Why did Sephora become successful? Why is it that the best lingerie for women is Victoria Secret? ‘Brand Hypnotism’ is the answer. The story behind a brand that changed the world with gadgets gives it the edge. There is a bigger story behind Apple that makes us root for it in every way. It start’s off with Steve Jobs being fired out of his own company, creating a headline comenback with the ‘Think Different’ Campaign, his work on Pixar, his 2005 speech describing his struggles and finally his staged product reveals. This is it a story worth the capture. If we look at what Bill Gates’s story looked like it was: Harvard Drop out, then success and finally a billionaire. Only in recent years has Bill’s recent humanitarian work started to attract media’s attention.
The closer you are to being a normal human to your audience, the more touching your story is. I’ll end it with Tesla, because every body has been talking about Elon Musk lately. If we simply Youtube the word Elon, you will most definitely find a title that revolves around him being the real Iron Man. Business magazines talked about him “barely making it” & living on ‘1 dollar days’. Elon Musk the man who changed the world through Paypal, decided it wasn’t enough, put all his money in Solar City, Space X and the most elegant “piece of art” electric car, Tesla. Elon Musk now wants to take us to Mars, the story that probably makes us want to buy more Tesla’s why? Because the man creating these cars wants to go to MARS!!!!!! Stories imprint brands in our minds and that is a very dangerous thing. The reason behind its hazardous nature is that these companies can now sell a piece of misfunctioning metal for a 1000 dollars. It will always sell. These brands need to be awakened and some responsibility should be on their shoulders towards there loving fans.
Photo By: Nik Shuliahin
themillennialstage.net 