By Ethan Lyon, Senior Writer
PC or Mac? Simple question, right? If you were to ask a focus group of ten people, maybe five would say PC, three would choose Mac and two would be undecided. Then, a Mac enthusiast chimes-in, “PC computers are the worst computers out there. The viruses alone are enough to make me not want to deal with them.” The PC-goers are upset about the affront by the Mac user and the Mac users ban behind their outspoken leader. Maybe the virus comment could sway several PC users and undecideds to consider Mac. It becomes a shouting match and the two undecideds take sides. It’s now 8:2, Mac:PC.
Hypothetically, you’d expect the group to reflect the average attitude of the group. According to several psychological studies, we are inherently more middle-of-the-road than not. It is only when we face judgment from our peers that we take a more radical stance. As we have seen, this situation has been echoed in town halls across the nation. With the health care debate, there has not been a shortage of heated emotion and misinformation. Essentially, an intelligent conversation, whether it’s about health care or PCs, can easily be sabotaged by one person. One person can hijack a discussion simply by yelling a radical statement (“PC computers are the worst computers out there”).
We can also see this theory online–replicated across numerous platforms and web tools. Consider comment sections. One person can make a polarizing statement, and the comment section turns into a fighting match, or a flame war. Some platforms thrive on polarization. Consider Reddit. The story submission is either good or it isn’t–up or down. What if everyone had to independently submit their own opinion? Would they take a different position? Studies show, yes. When we face our peers, we are pressured to take a stance–for or against. Otherwise, we are typically non-committal.
To bring this full circle, consider the implications of group think on your brand strategy. Is it worth hosting a PC / Mac discussion? Consider polling their opinions independently, then follow-up on key points. By polling everyone independently, you extract pure thinking–in that each individual is not tainted by their peers. This might help you identify core areas of interest and spark further exploration. Consider this strategy as you survey your target audiences and seek an objective perspective on the market.
Image by Antonio Jiménez Alonso from Stock.Xchng
Related posts:
- Boomer Brands Today and Tomorrow James Dean, Marlon Brando, Steve Jobs and even Barack Obama...
