Look deep into my eye
In his book The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini explains how through ‘social proof’, we each have a tendency to assume an action is the appropriate move to make if many others are doing it, and particularly in cases of uncertainty. On a level somewhat closer to home, advertisers love to inform us when a product is the “fastest-growing” or “largest selling” because they don’t have to convince us directly that the product is good, it is proof enough that others think so. It’s the same theory behind that maniacal canned laughter you hear on tawdry sitcoms – the likelihood is that the producers know they’re not the best in calibre, so a reminder to laugh lets us know when we’re meant to laugh. Next time you’re watching Catherine Tate, I urge, no, plead with you to think twice.
While peer pressure has always been important, there seems increasing evidence that social networks such as Facebook and MySpace are reinforcing and speeding up this process. Part of what they do is heighten our perceived need to have what other people have. Charles Arthur, a UK Guardian technology journalist wrote Social networking really ramps up the peer pressure which explores this phenomenon. Another example discussed in the Guardian newspaper – The Teen Bloggers Who Took Over the Internet - focuses on how teenagers are blogging on issues such as fashion, films and feminism. What these examples confirm to us is that the voice of authority is shifting dramatically towards (arguably) the most influential and therefore important, consumer demographic. This must surely scare the hell out of businessmen in suits, who may be starting feel like their control over their brand is drifting away on a melting ice cap.
But if executives are to focus on these key influencers, their best bet is to hand the keys of their car over to these kids and pray they enjoy the ride. After all, who likes to be shown a brand new gadget, but told they’re not allowed to play with it?
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