Quest for Self-identity and Psychological Security in Brands and Us
Image Coutrtesy - Jake's Blog
At some point in my marketing career I became acutely aware of how marketers are conditioned to see India through an ‘outside’ perspective. These blogs are my effort to turn the tables, and dig into Indic mythology and scriptures in order to apply their wisdom to today’s marketing and business scenarios.
Today's post comes with a personal story. That of sharing personal vulnerability. In times when most of us are dealing with demons old and new, this is to let everyone know that they are not alone and there is a way out of the abyss.
With life and livelihood settling into a semblance of rhythm, I looked back to my own times of turmoil in my gilded cage. As the world changed, I too went through my own phases and feelings of insecurity, and existential angst. While searching for answers I had a moment of epiphany while listening to a discussion with its roots in the Upanishads.
This discussion was on the human need for psychological security. I will try to sum up an extremely complex subject to its common denominator –
1. Humans attach themselves and their sense of identity to an external collective which gives them a sense of belonging. Therefore, psychological security and anchor.
2. This ‘external collective’ is usually conceptual in nature. Like the idea of a nation, community, group and so on.
3. Because their own sense of identity and existence is anchored to a ‘concept’, self-identity is in perpetual flux over time. Hence, people move from one identity marker to another.
4. Naturally this leaves humans in a perpetual state of psychological uncertainty and insecurity. Ironically the exact opposite state they seek. This perpetuates primal concepts like ‘survival of the fittest’, the idea of 'us vs. the other' and so on…
While the topic is concerned with people, it felt its principles could also hold true for brands. Let us first look at implications at a personal level –
1. Identifying the root of personal existential angst –
So, the modern ‘great plague’ coincided with some life changes of my own.
I had quit my advertising job and decided to leap into the unknown. Just as I was enjoying movement free of my professional identity, the world on the ground changed – with me mid-flight! Talk about timing! Naturally, I began to question my own relevance and place in this new evolving order.
Two gears had shifted at the same time. Since neither life, nor the world are mechanical parts, it is impossible to predict where the wheels will interlock again.
Personal identity markers
I was on a new adventure. With flights grounded, my journey went within to meet myself all over again. As with many home-chefs, Dalgona coffee baristas, banana bread experts, I too met forgotten parts of myself. It also made me realise just how much I had allowed ‘other’ people, places, external impressions and tags dictate my notions of ‘me’.
Light at the end of the tunnel
As I get more comfortable with the current state of flux, I understand my personal insecurities were a result of my own external projections and what others thought, or expected of me. These became important as I believed these projections and constructs to be true and not a ‘perceived image’.
Now, let us see how the slipper fits the many Cinderella brands looking for a fairy godmother instead of helping themselves.
2. Inherent insecurity of brands
Through my marketing career, I have worked on many Brand related exercises. Brand Identity, Brand Purpose, Brand Insight, Brand Image, Brand Relevance… the list is as endless as the quest for enduring answers!
Existential crisis and crutches
I realised the need to constantly question, and reinvent arose not because there was anything fundamentally wrong with the products, but because the brands were pegged on external markers.
A ‘social good’ brand like Toms floundered once barefoot kids in Africa lost their appeal. Beauty soap Lux lost anchorage once movie stars no longer epitomised beauty. Maggi noodles has made multiple approaches since the health narrative around kids and nutrition changed. Patagonia is the current favourite till sustainability and climate change are in vogue…
The irony of existence
The entire situation is rather comical-ironical come to think of it. People buy brands because they are insecure in themselves. Brands give them validation, social proofing, quality reassurance, status, and more. The brands in turn seek acceptance and approval from those seeking it themselves!
A Brands ‘purpose’ tends to hang on pegs like the consumer, culture, societal trends, all of which are constantly changing. So the chase or the quest never ends.
Strong brands
So do brands ever find the holy grail of security and self-confidence? Yes they do! Think of the most iconic and popular brands one comes across repeatedly in marketing workshops and presentations. Let’s look at some examples.
Nike - is about the internal spirit of performance of the shoe and the consumer. Both work to better themselves and compete with their inner demons, not with other shoes.
Apple - doesn’t compete with anyone but itself. Things are simply ‘shot on an iPhone’. One doesn’t see any competitive advertising mocking competition like the series by Samsung.
Google – is purely about ‘search’. There is nothing about being better than competition. It works on simply being the best search engine!
Conclusion
The quest for one’s identity and psychological security is endless and eternal. It has been chronicled in the Upanishads, and it has been agonised to the point of insanity by modern day philosophers like Nietzche. In troubled times many flock to spiritual guides or psychologists to help them make sense of their lives.
Similarly, Brands and Marketers try to reinvent, pivot, refresh, re-focus their businesses and brands. Sadly, they continue to seek external pegs for their identity markers like; culture, society, consumer behaviour…moving shape-shifters really.
Perhaps the solution lies in realising the genesis of our marketing thinking and conditioning. The origins of modern marketing lie in western cultures. These tend to be externally oriented and image conscious (fake it till you make it?), fighting it out in this hall of smoke and mirrors.
It might serve both brand and marketers well to look within and find out what they are genuinely about instead of looking for a fairy godmother. As for me, whether I land on my face, knees, or firmly on my feet, will probably depend on how successfully I manage to find myself, within myself…
