Many years ago now, I stopped fighting people’s perception – the so-called law of the mind. The best example I can give you of this is my partner. David Tremblay is a young white man who stands 6 feet 2, in his early thirties, the typical millennial who has insane charisma.
Whatever we do, David will always have a head start on me:
- He’s a young man – taken more seriously than a woman
- He’s young, so he must know all there is to know about social media and digital marketing
So, you’ll understand why I try to include him in all our meetings with clients, to reassure them and, above all, to give us the best possible chance when we’re submitting a bid.
It’s hard to fight the law of the mind, isn’t it? It’s easy to see how electric car brands trying to win consumers over will have trouble rivalling Tesla, which is imprinted on consumers’ minds as being the elegant, innovative electric car. In terms of down jackets, we’ve seen many brands emerge in the past decade, trying to find their place in the sun. But which brand pops into consumers’ heads when they’re looking for a warm coat? You got it – Canada Goose. Next you probably think of North Face and Moncler if you’re thinking of a luxury range. But if you do a few online searches, you’ll quickly see that all the major brands are there. Even Lululemon, known for its yoga wear, is trying to win market shares with its down coats.
As you’ve probably figured out, the law of the mind closely follows the law of perception. It’s pointless to wage an expensive marketing battle on beliefs and perceptions, since the law of the mind will win the day whenever products are at war – even if your product is better than Canada Goose.
It takes time to get inside consumers’ heads. It can be done, but you’ve got to be able to hold your own somehow until you’ve made your mark on consumers’ minds.
What about you? Is your brand one that leaps to consumers’ minds?
I hope you enjoyed this episode, and that this PR/marketing moment stimulates your creativity.
Reach out to me so we can continue the conversation!
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