DO THE RIGHT THING

Thanks for the pic,Chuck

Choice is a capitalist, and therefore American, institution. Our system is built on the idea that, if given the choice, consumers will choose the best product, will support the best politician and live the best life.

That's survival of the fittest (option)

I heard on NPR, this morning, about a recent study that says that there are two types of people:



Maxamisers and Satifyers --

The study followed both of these groups as they left college and searched for a job.

As you could guess, Maximizers put the maximum number of options on their plate for weighing.

Satisfyers chose from a much smaller group of choices.

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Maximizers, once they finally made their choice, made more money at their jobs (like 25% more), but they tended to be more depressed, anxious and all around unhappy -- Satisfyers made less, but were happier.

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Turns out that choice may not be all that good for the human condition.......blasphemy!

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Sounds about right to me.

Advertising is not about choice.

The brand-culture/culture-brand landscape is all about cutting out unnecessary choice. Good brands are signals in the fog. A strong brand takes a stand, and is unmistakable, it is recognizable, it is unapologetically itself

Take a look at Twinsumers.

Basically, we use other peoples brand signals, that we think align with our own, and judge other brands we are not familiar with by our Twinsumers compass.

-- is this new?

One of the google definitions I particularly like of Culture is: a set of learned beliefs, values and behaviors the way of life shared by the members of a society.

How about this one:

The integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon man's capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations.

or

learned behavior of people

I have never been a big fan of tradition, customs or those sorts of soul crushing incarnations of culture - but - culture as an eliminator of the superfluous? That's a culture I can get on board with.

So now it is clear to me, culture exists to combat the negative effects of choice! Or, rather culture exists to make choice meaningful to give us meaningful choices.

Choice + Culture = Meaningful Choices

Culture is your learned values and actions shared by a society. A good brand facilitates this learning by being a signal for people to read in the fog of superfluous choice

Values and Actions + Reading the Signals = Culture

that means:

Choice + (Your Values + Brand) = Meaningful Choices

Thanks advertising!







--P.S. a lot of advertising sucks, seriously.