In Marketing; Perception is Reality

Ryan Marle’s recent posting on his Brand Alchemy blog offers an excellent exercise in understanding the principle of “perception is reality." This allows you to take a good hard look at  your brand and how your customers might see it. I offer a whole workshop on just this… Ryan’s version great to do right now… and I would suggest doing it! Here is the blog posting (or click on title to go to directly to the blog):

Visualize Your Product & or Brand

By Ryan Marle – Brand Alchemy

This exercise will give you a very deep understanding of your own representation of your product or brand and is one of the more powerful things you could do with your team as well. If you're not working on a product or brand, you definitely work with another of your favorite brands.

Find a comfortable place to sit down and relax. Notice how you can easily take a deep breath and close your eyes. Now, form an image of your product or brand in your mind. You can just take a minute and notice all the details of that image in your mind.

1. Is it in black & white or color
2. Where is it located from you (if you could point at it)
3. Is it near or far
4. What size is it
5. Are you part of it or are you looking in from the outside
6. Is it bright
7. Focused or unfocused
8. Moving or Still
9. Amount of Contrast
10. 3D or Flat

Are there any sounds that go with it? Notice the details of the sounds.
Are there any feelings that go with it? Notice the details of the feelings.

Now, we have a clear understanding of your own mental representation of your mental representation that you work with everyday.
Now, if your customers were to do the same thing, where would they see it? Is it the same? Different?
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For more information on my "Perception is Reality" workshop, check out my book, The Credibility Factor .