How brands manipulate you. Tribalism and you

[Arika]

I think this forum would really benefit from watching this video as it's something that i see more and more, people attacking each other because they don't like the same thing you do. And this being a tech forum those things more often than not end up being a product.

 

 

Would love to get people's input and opinions on this after watching. Try to keep a level head and don't devolve in a flame war. don't let the brands win!

 

[Wictorian]

I dont like it when people attack Edge or Elon Musk because I think we should support inovation & competition.

[LAwLz]

Good video.

I could recognize myself in some of his examples and points raised, and I can can see how it applies to a lot of people, including a lot of people on this forum.

 

While what he says definitely seems to apply to traditional brands, political parties, etc, I feel like a growing trend that troubles me is the whole influencer thing. Where an individual person become brands.

I feel like the whole influencer deal takes all the bad things about tribal mentality brought up in this video, and then in addition to that applies it to a single person who the audience has a parasocial relationship with. All of a sudden it's no longer just "I am part of this tribe so I need to support the tribe's ally, Pepsi", it's "a family member in my tribe told me Pepsi treats our tribe well and is therefore an ally of the tribe. I need to repay Pepsi for supporting my family and tribe by consuming their products".

[mr moose]

One thing that stood out to me was that, for better or worse, I don't have a problem telling people what I think (no fear of being kicked from the group).  Maybe that's why I don't have many friends but at the same time hate all brands almost equally.  

 

 

 

[Wictorian]

4 hours ago, mr moose said:

One thing that stood out to me was that, for better or worse, I don't have a problem telling people what I think (no fear of being kicked from the group).  Maybe that's why I don't have many friends but at the same time hate all brands almost equally.  

 

 

 

I think people appreciate this though.

[da na]

I am loyal to a few brands because their stuff always has just worked for me. Hitachi HDDs for example. I try not to get sucked into one platform's ecosystem too much, though - don't use only Google Drive, or only iCloud, that sort of thing. 

[jones177]

The think the video represents a certain mind set that I don't have.

I have never gone along to get along.

 

I am loyal to what works at the time. 

A Good example is my feelings about ASUS high end motherboards. I love using them but they seem to have quality control issues. I have had to return half what I buy.

The AORUS boards I use now I like less but I have never had to return them. 

It is the same with most things I buy.

 

I also don't see a lot of brand loyalty here. 

The same people that pushed Ryzen are now pushing Intel.

So were they really AMD fanboys or did I just see them that way. 

The only difference I see now is in value or what is a better value, so opinion. 

 

The first study in the video is just strange since any group that is not based on a rule of law or authoritarianism turns to chaos.

Even this forum has laws and those that enforce them. 

As for survival, even animals put there differences aside to do that. So the water thing was pointless.  

 

 The part about Apple and IBM in the video was the laymen's point of view. 

At the time you really did not do the same things with them.

I did desktop polishing with the Mac. Desktop video with an Amiga and business programing on the PC. In the end I did all these on the PC.  

The hardware did not make the choice for me.

The Software did. 

The desktop publishing software I used on the Mac migrated to the PC and the 3D/video software I used on the Amiga migrated to the PC as well. So the logical choice for me was to go PC. 

 

The part about design teams is a bit silly as well. Competition is just part of good management. It also can make the job more fun. 

I designed stuff for a living and It was all competition internal and external. 

As an individual or in a group it is all about the win.

 

 

[IPD]

There's always going to be large masses of people who have blind loyalty to a brand.  Doesn't matter if it's politics, computer parts or automobiles.

 

I personally favor a few brands.  But rabid loyalty comes from when a company is the only one offering some...thing--and every other company is either neglecting the segment entirely, or piling on me-too products only because the original company had the testicular fortitude to try it first (eg. Kinect and PS-Move were me-too Wii-knockoff products).

 

For example, if a company started selling a 2-door SUV with < 92" wheelbase and > 400 AWHP in the USA--I would be a raving proponent of that brand.  Or if Rivian offered the R1T in a convertible hard-top--I would be one of their biggest fans.  Or if a company (other than Apple) offered a 5.0" smartphone with a top-end chipset (IN THE USA)--I would be fiercely loyal to that brand.

 

Out here in the land of "finding someone who makes what I want/need is 99% of the battle"--brand loyalty is meaningless.  Availability is king.