That’s the question Martin Lindstrom poses in a recent post for AdAge.com. He also lists “nine components that powerfully engaging brands share with religion.” How many of these components have you – or could you – incroporate into your brand-building efforts?
A CLEAR VISION
This is the cornerstone of religion. It can inspire great action and firm conviction. To see how this translates into branding, take L’Oréal’s mission: “We sell hope.” Then there’s Apple’s 1982 brand vision: “Man is the creator of change in this world. As such he should be above systems and structures, and not subordinate to them.” These companies’ visions drive them and guide them.
A SENSE OF BELONGING
What do Tupperware, Harley-Davidson, Lego and Apple have in common? They’re all based on communities. Considering Lego’s considerable brand equity, you might expect that the company’s marketing budget would count in the billions. Not so. In fact, it is so modest that if I recorded it here, you’d probably think it was a typo. Lego doesn’t do the talking. It lets Lego maniacs do it instead.
AN ENEMY
Imagine Pepsi without Coke. Impossible, right? A competitor is a valuable foil that unites a company from within and pushes the brand’s boundaries. The enemy shapes the brand.
SENSORY APPEAL
If you were to close your eyes and walk into a place of worship, the sounds and smells would still tell you where you were: ringing bells, incense, the rumble of a massive organ. Most brands are lacking here. Visit any supermarket or retail chain, and you’ll struggle to experience any sensory stimulus, other than visual, that tells you, uniquely, where you are.
STORYTELLING
The world’s holy texts are built on oral traditions. Storytelling has driven faith and religious practice, keeping them alive for millennia. Just as every hymn and window in a church is linked to an all-embracing story, brands have the potential to build holistic identities.
GRANDEUR
It’s all about thinking big – really big. Cathedrals are massive in scale. This attribute is particularly relevant for brands and perhaps more accessible than other religion-related characteristics. Think about the Fifth Avenue Apple Store in New York, the latest Prada store in Tokyo or Burj Al Arab, the world’s first seven-star hotel.
EVANGELISM
This phenomenon has lived for centuries and now takes place via chat rooms and viral videos. Word-of-mouth is powerful, trusted and cheap. Brands must make use of the inclination of consumers to be persuaded by friends. Brazilian cosmetics brand Natura deploys a direct-sales force of more than 718,000 to win converts. Just by knocking on doors, it has established a vibrant network of brand supporters.
SYMBOLS
Imagine a smashed stained-glass window, a page loosed from a Bible, a snippet of choral singing. Would you recognize where they came from? Most likely. Few brands, however, reflect this consistency. Not many can be recognized without their logos. Examine an iPod, and you’ll have problems finding the Apple logo. Yet its design is so in tune with the brand’s identity and so unambiguously original that you know an iPod when you see and feel it.
RITUALS
Rituals build brands. The act of placing a wedge of lime in the neck of a Corona bottle helps sell those beers. And where did it come from? As one story goes, it was invented by two bartenders in California to see how fast a ritual could spread.
Tags: AdAge.com, branding, Martin Lindstrom