What Makes People Buy: Identification

How come artists can see larger truths, tell us about them and we still don’t listen?

A love the line from Hot Hot Heat’s Le Le Low song about 36 seconds into it when they sing

Fashion is feeding us Identification.

Give it a listen if you’re not at work and dig high-energy alt rock.

Does your product offer Identification?

FUBU does. (For Us By Us)
Not too many white boys wearing FUBU. And if you are a young black man and want to identify (align) yourself with the Hip Hop community, FUBU is your brand.

Abercrombie & Fitch.
Not too many old folks buying shit at A&F. If you’re a young suburbanite and would like to identify yourself as such….well, you get the point.

Billabong.
Yet another brand with strong association with a specific and narrow community. In this case skaters.

LACOSTE.
Question. How do you spot a yuppie? Answer.  Look for the alligator on his chest.

Martha Stewart and Oprah are just two examples of branded cult of personalities which managed to capture large segments of consumer markets. Who’s your fave?

…the list goes on and on.

If your brand is lucky, a social group will identify (align) themselves with it.

Good thing about this is that if your brand is able to tap into the desires of a particular social group, you’ve already made your sale.

The Identification taps into the existing desires of the market.

Here are some examples:

• No one needs to convince women to want to feel sexier and more confident. That desire is already there and Victoria’s Secret is there to capitalize on it.
• No one needs to convince men to want to appear more manly, rugged and outdoorsy. That desire is already there and Marlboro Man is there to capitalize on it.
• No one needs to convince graphic artists, musicians and similar creatives to appear as such. That desire is already there and Apple is there to capitalize on it.

Relax. I’m one of you.

LL Cool J. Ladies Love Cool J indeed.

If consumers are presented with the correct image of the product, people who posses those qualities will buy the product in order to publicize their ego.

But heres the real motherfucker.

Those who don’t (posses those qualities) but want to appear as if they do, will also purchase your product if it’s sending the right signal.

Point made...but dont stop here. What brand do you identify with? What image are you trying to project?

Does YOUR product suggest qualities that people want to flaunt?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, Ima go get a $5.00 cup of coffee at Starbucks to signal to the onlookers that I can afford a $5.00 cup of coffee. Which will in turn signal to the ladies that I’m a good provider, er go a suitable mate.

And you thought that coffee is just coffee.

So let’s be honest. You’re amongst friends here.

What brand do YOU identify with?

What qualities are YOU hoping to signal to a potential mate?

Human generated very related posts:

Fear: It’s What’s For Dinner

Why Every Business Owner Must Become Expert Marketer

I recommend these books for further research.

(Amazon Affiliate Links)

Cashvertising by Drew Eric Whitman is quick, easy, jam packed with great info.

The Culture Code by Clotaire Rapaille is in depth, well researched, head and shoulders above the other books in the similar vain.

Buyology by Martin Lindstrom Like the story of Goldilocks, this one is neither too quick nor too in depth but it’s just right for anyone who wants to have a really practical understanding of what motivates buyers. It rounds out the set nicely.