Buying In

Just about to finish reading "Buying In - What we buy and Who we are" by Rob Walker. I good read for anyone that is involved in selling stuff to consumers through branding and marketing efforts. It goes further than a previous book I read about consumer traits (Spent - Geoffrey Millar) and how we buy stuff to show off our individual personalities through evolutionary trait display. This book takes a slightly different view that suggest that we buy stuff more to support our internal narrative about ourselves, and not necessarily about showing off to others.

Lot's of great examples and arguments that support the concept. Found it to be an easy read and insightful. Observations of the current consumer space and the issues that today's marketing has to contend with compared to more traditional approaches. I think some very powerful ideas are put forward about branding and how people are not so much resisting branding but more about adopting the concepts and language of branding to support their own internal self fulfillment, as suggested on Maslow's heirarchy of needs.

Branding is a big focus in the book and definitely it makes you appreciate the power of the branding language, and how much is now part of our culture. It is fascinating how it has become something that we can take part in and add to the conversations, rather than resist as Naomi Klein suggest in her book " No Logo". Brands are being embraced rather than repelled by today's consumers and especially among the youth and new start ups. The main take away message from the book is really that consumer behavior today is and always has been about our stories we tell ourselves, it is about who we are and what we believe, branding is part of that story telling process and is being used as such by today's consumers not rejected.

The art of story telling and branding

This promotional video from Dunhill, that shows one of it's cases being made by a master craftsman, is testament to the art of storytelling and the resulting perceived value it brings to an object. This video apparently raised the sales of this case by 500% within 2 weeks after the video was shown. Even if this isn't true, the video has a huge emotional story attached to it that raises the brand awareness and definitely makes it more clear why this case costs $3,200. 

As you watch the detailing and swiftness that this master craftsman goes through as he assemblies pieces of material and carefully sews them together, you are taken back to a time when all things were made this way. You are reminded that somethings are taught and handed down from master to apprentice, over years of study. We see the difference between hand crafted versus production line automation, the value that human touch and detail can bring to an object. It is in perfect alignment with the brand of Dunhill in this instance, a company that was first established in 1893 as a saddlery business, which then progressed to motor cars and now covers all kinds of men's leather luxury goods, as well as, timepieces, fragrances and clothing.

The power of this marketing piece lies in the unwritten, or spoken story that forms in your mind as you see the case come together. This is not only a strong way to tell a story relying heavily on the visuals, but leaves a lasting impression. The value of the item goes up because you imagine how hard and difficult it must be to be so exact. Suddenly you are compelled to want one and buy into the story. So now the case now has something more valuable than the just the name it has a history, that goes back generations.

A very nicely put together piece, and a story well told that does wonders for the Dunhill brand, I definitely wish I could afford one.

Watch it here. or Below