Whether it's brushing your teeth before you shower, knocking on wood, or refusing to stay on the 13th floor of a hotel, we're all guilty of incorporating rituals and superstition into our everyday lives. But why do we do this and does it play a role in how we choose brands?
Absolutely.
Rituals make us comfortable with our surroundings and give us a feeling of control over the future. Am I really going to have 7 years of bad luck if I break that mirror? Probably not. But as marketers it's important for us to understand the emotional connection that rituals allow us to form with brands. For example, what's the proper method for eating an Oreo? Do you break it a part and eat the icing first? or do you have to dunk the Oreo in milk before you can even consider eating it?
Personally, I'm guilty of hundreds of rituals, could I name them for you? I doubt it. Not because I'm ashamed and think rituals are ridiculous, but because I can't think of them. The problem is that I'm so accustomed to doing them on a daily basis that I don't even think about them anymore.
This is another reason why it's important for us, as planners, to pay very close attention to detail. Is it strange that I always set my alarm 10 minutes early so I can hit the snooze just once before I crawl out of bed? or are there other weirdos like me out there? and could this be a potential opportunity for a brand to interact with me?
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1 comment:
hmmmm, brands probably have rituals of their own > i think that's where the interesting territory lays. what sorts of ritualistic activities could we engage people in that incorporate a habit of sorts in relation to a brand/product use? I think that's what you're asking, but I had to ask the question in my own way. Hmmm, maybe this is a ritual of mine: reframing the question to my liking. What could a brand do here for me? I think it's all a matter of engagement for which you have to create an experience. I think you're exactly right in saying pay attention to the details, but who has time for them anymore? jk.
good post.
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