With the recent — and unforgettable — World Cup still top of mind, I’d like to talk a little bit about the beautiful game, and more specifically, how it applies to us as marketers. As a kid, I loved soccer. It was the one thing that captivated my soul like nothing else. I was considered a good player, nothing special. But one day, a few simple words completely changed the way I played. 

Transformation

Here’s the story: one day, an older, well-respected boy in the neighborhood, announced in front of all the other players “You play just like Johan Cruyff.” This quintessential phrase couldn’t have been more valuable to my impressionable mind. To hear that I played just like soccer’s equivalent to a deity (Johan Cruyff was hands down Holland’s best player of all time, and arguably one of the world’s best players of all time) it was like a switch had flipped. My game transformed. I was better than ever before. While I played, Cruyff ran through my head. I couldn’t help but start noticing the similarities, tweaking my play to be even more like his. I even started accumulating his body language. I tried out for the youth team of Jerusalem’s prominent soccer club. Something I never dreamed of before happened. I made it. 

Association

Years later, in high school, a coach changed my position. As a newly minted sweeper my game started to suffer. Cruyff didn’t play sweeper. The association between the two of us was gone. I started asking my coach for answers. Why would he switch my position? I received a shocking answer: “You were born to play a sweeper, you remind me of Franz Beckenbauer.” A German player regarded, still today, as one of the greatest of all time. A new association formed in my head and my game dramatically improved once again. The more the word got out, the more intimidated my opponents became. My skills hadn’t changed, and neither had theirs, but with this new-found connection in mind, my play was enhanced while theirs was hindered.

Equation

So why did a few simple compliments impact me so much? And how did it impact my opponents too? Decades later, my extensive experience studying and working in marketing revealed the answer. It’s the power of Priming. I was conditioned to believe that I was a better player, the people around me expected me to be a strong player (myself included), and my desire to be better was greater than ever. This cascading reaction is represented by my equation for a successful brand strategy: Priming + Expectation + Desire = BRANDcebo. This is exactly the process I went through as a boy. I was branded. The association with legendary players left me with a perception and reputation that I had to live up to.

The World Cup

We can learn from this story and apply it to bigger games. Let’s take the next world cup. I would venture to propose that this example illustrates why the same teams seem to always make it to the finals of the World Cup. The rush of screaming fans calling their names, and sports journalists singing their praises are the epitome of priming experiences. Fans believe they are the best, other players believe it too, and as a result the game is impacted. The players on the “best” teams might be pumped up with confidence and opponents on the lesser known teams might just get psyched out when playing with them. We are all primed to believe that because certain teams usually make it to the finals that this year they will too, and the next year, and the next year. Ultimately, the brand perception changes the whole game.

How It Applies to Your Brand

So how can you use priming in your own brand? Set an association in motion through your brand and product names, taglines, and throughout your entire digital marketing strategy. Make connections with your customers by helping them better understand the kind of impact your product or service can have on their life. This means going beyond customers’ needs, by speaking to their passions, too. Use images and words in your marketing campaigns that reflect how your brand gets to the center of their hearts. If your target audience is mothers, surround your brand with visuals and words that exude the happiness and health of families. If it is fitness, show them winning, meeting goals, and experiencing a transformation. Be their role model and connect to their aspirations. Don’t just show them that you are a legendary brand, show them how an association with you can make them legendary too.  

In my book, BRANDcebo, I lay out the entire game plan of how to build brands that win over customers with a champion marketing strategy. Check it out here.