Brands & Magic Spells

Language is the most powerful tool we have as humans.

We use it everyday to influence and change the world around us; to turn our thoughts into things.

Phrases, poems, books, speeches and songs. One or more of these is often at the core of any great change or movement.

A “magic spell” is a carefully devised set of words that is intended to have a specific effect on a specific individual (or set of individuals).

Sounds a lot like marketing to me.

Marketing, advertising and branding are the closest thing we have to a widely adopted “modern day magic.” Unfortunately, most of what we’re influenced by every day is of the “black” variety of magic, in which it feeds on, rather than gives life to, those on the receiving end.

Words, phrases, songs, images and experiences are being carefully crafted, at an unprecedented scale, to influence the behavior of practically every human on earth.

And more often than not, the behavior we are being bewitched to carry out, is usually not in our best interest* (but it’s in the best interest of corporate shareholder’s bank accounts).*

Using language to influence others and change the world is not inherently malign, as our current economic landscape would lead us to believe.

Language can be used to hurt or heal, to enslave or liberate, to destroy or create.

Great leaders and world-changers throughout history have understood and leveraged the profound power of language.

Martin Luther King, Ghandi and others didn’t fight for a new world —* *they spoke it into being.

They understood that brute force can be overcome by resonance and soul.

To me, resonance and soul are two key elements of conscious branding, marketing and advertising.

Soul comes first, as it corresponds to the core purpose or message that needs to be spoken. The more life-affirming, positive and uplifting the message, the more soul it has. If a message is crafted to use people for profit, it is inherently devoid of soul, as is anything that is purely business-centric without a higher purpose or intent.

Once we have identified a soulful message worth speaking, we find ways to create higher levels of resonance. This is achieved through feedback and testing. As we learn to understand our audience more deeply, we gain insights as to how we can tweak what we say (or create) to evoke greater levels of resonance.

With the right brand, message, audience and resonance, literally anything is possible.

Language changes everything.

Originally published on Medium, 2020.