I'm being unfair
Following from previous item.... Just realized. When I describe the "virus" as branding, or describe political crap as branding, I'm being unfair to actual brands.

In real business, a brand goes deeper than a name or a label. A brand is associated with particular feelings and experiences. When you have a good brand running, you don't want to spoil it by SWITCHING the feelings and experiences. You understand that your loyal customers are unique, and you don't really care if EVERYONE appreciates your brand. Customers buy your brand because they like it, which means they like the product itself plus the service experience. They don't buy the product because they want something else. People who want something else are buying other brands.

In real business, a company that switches the experience or degrades the product loses its loyal customers and doesn't gain new ones, because the people who want something else already use other brands.

These new political and scientific brands have no constant connections to products or services or agendas or beliefs or purposes. Over the last 50 years, the D and R political brands have traded belief sets several times. Their loyal CULT MEMBERS instantly follow every Github switch in philosophy and purpose, because CULT MEMBERS are not customers. They aren't buying the product to get good transportation or a good shave or good shoes or good repair service. They're sticking with the CULT because they're phaselocked. Membership is the only purpose, and switching is the CRITERION for membership. Sucker filter. Cult members are EXPLICITLY selected by their ability to adhere instantly and ferociously to a RAPIDLY SHIFTING and INCOMPREHENSIBLY CRAZY narrative.

In earlier eras political parties were real brands that provided real products to unique sets of customers. Supporting D gave the factory worker more winks and nods from police, and more government jobs. Supporting R gave the banker more winks and nods from auditors, and better access to government funds. Each brand had its own services and its own customers.

Labels: NOW I SEE, Sucker Filter

  ¶ 6:24 AM