Learning from Bus Buddhists
In psychological terms, context is almost everything. Much as we like to think that we know how we will act and react in a given situation, without the richness of...
Memes are a fascinating concept and vitally important to anyone with an interest in marketing.
Defined as “… that which is imitated, after GENE n.) “An element of a culture that may be considered to be passed on by non-genetic means, esp. imitation.”
Crucially for someone with something to market, what meme theory says is that one aspect that contributes to effective marketing is how easily whatever it is you’re doing can be copied.
“Beanz Meanz Heinz” means roughly nothing.
But it’s very memorable and very easy to copy, so it gets propagated by people. It enters your mind, gets remembered instantly and accurately, and stays way beyond the point where it serves any useful purpose to you (if it ever did).
When it comes to buying beans the simple fact that the brand Heinz is familiar to your unconscious may well be sufficient for it to seem better (for which read a safer, less risky option) than any other available.
Some people go so far as to suggest that our entire mental world is made up of memes.
It is perfectly possible to hold (or host) conflicting memes, and certainly possible to host memes that aren’t particularly constructive or useful; some may even be damaging to us. For example, supposing you believe that the readings from tea leaves can guide your future and they tell you not to seek medical attention for a condition that could be treated effectively by, say, antibiotics. Your stupid tea leaf reading meme would be the prime cause of your death.
Some people dispute the theory of memes, saying that if everything is a meme, and copied for its own sake of being copied, then nothing makes any sense at all.
But this ignores what I consider to be the key issue with memes; that of timescale.
In my view, over an appropriately long timescale, only good memes will survive. Good memes are those that serve a useful function for the people who host them. But just as for genes, that timescale is many thousands of years, rather than the compressed periods people typically consider.
Lots of beliefs were fundamentally accepted in their day and now have no place in our brains. There was a time when it was widely accepted that the sun and planets revolved around the earth. Someone suggested it, it seemed a reasonable explanation for stuff in the sky changing, and even probably made the people who passed it on seem clever. Now we don’t think of that thought, it’s been bumped by a different, more useful meme, that tells us our planet revolves around the sun. Of course, most of the memes that died out are thoughts we have no historical record of and certainly no memory of – which helps us delude ourselves that everything we think is absolutely right.
So why is this so important to marketing? I’ll tell you next time…
Philip Graves
Meme also helps memorizing things easier in general.
Thought you’ve hinted why memes are important in marketing –
” … enters your mind, gets remembered instantly and accurately, and stays way beyond the point where it serves any useful purpose to you (if it ever did).”
Sure you’ll provide more details tomorrow 🙂
John Ho
Understanding Personalities for Better Influence & Persuasion (WordPress)
Understanding Personalities for Better Influence & Persuasion (Vox Blog)
The idea of memes is related to what makes something viral…
Here in the states most people in my age bracket could recite the Big Mac ad from our youth “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun” as well as sinf the Oscar Mayer “My bologna has a first name…” song.
Totally worthless, totally drilled deep down into our brains…
Seize the Day,
Rob
Personal Asset Protection For Small Business Owners
Have You Covered Your Assets?
The concept of memes is fascinating. To this day, I can still remember the toll-free number for Sheraton Hotels that was part of an advertising campaign as a kid. Like the jingle Rob noted above, is it something about music that makes things easier to remember?
By the way the toll-free number for Sheraton is 800-325-3535 if anyone needs to book reservations. 😉
Pam
Great Minds, Great Wealth: How to Raise your Return, Reduce your Risk, Cut your Cost
It’s amazing what we connect in our minds.
Rob, I want a Big Mac now!
Lynn Lane
http://www.Warriorofsuccess.com
I have always found the study of memes fascinating and look forward to reading your research on how we can use their effects on people’s decisions to sell more and grow our businesses.
All the best,
Yann
This makes we wonder just what we believe today will be outmoded in say 10 years by advancing technologies. Some of the techniques that were gold standard in respiratory care just a few short years ago are now considered to be antique.
IN 1776, tomatoes were considered poison. Just thought I’d throw that in
Thanks
JC JC
Looking forward to the next installment. The bigger the better the burgers are, the burgers are better at burger king! anyone remember that one? circa 1968
Don Shepherd
oregon or bust
Philip,
This is the first time I have heard of Memes. I do want to learn more about the ins of marketing. After all that is what we are doing.
Bob Kaufer
Z Health For Life
This is fascinating stuff.
There’s an awful lot of rubbish stuffed into our unconscious minds!!
Always a pleasure Philip!
JJ Jalopy
Life Coaching and Home Business Advice with JJ Jalopy
and what we want to do is make what WE sell a memorable meme? right?
So memorable that people can’t get it out of their heads for years! Now, is that the quality of the meme, or the amount of repetition?
“Where’s the Beef?”
SunnyMarie
Glamour and Glitz
http://www.sunnymarie.wordpress.com
Looking forward to learn how to create effective memes and how to guage their effectiveness.
Christian Haller
http://www.christianhalleronline.com
That was a fascinating description of memes. I have read about them but I do not think I could define them till your post. Mark
Marketingscoops
Glacier Ice Cream
Memes – don’t remember hearing about these. So what’s up with the suspense at the end – this isn’t a novel, it’s a blog post – just tell us! Lol I hate suspense!
Lisa McLellan, Child Care Expert – Babysitters, Nannies, and Au-pairs
Thanks for defining memes. It is something I knew about but never in such depth.
Jennifer
The Harwood Center – Tinnitus, Chronic Illness, Fers, Phobias, and Anxiety
Hi Philip,
This is important stuff for all people to get their heads around if you can make what you sell ‘memorable’ and as Rob said go viral then you may be backing a winning horse!
Having the right message is important based on what business your in:
Above we have examples of Burger King who are in the fast food business and have a conflicting message “the burgers are better at burger king”
Hell if I want good food I wouldn’t be going to burger king! Id be at a restaurant!!
So “Right message, Right Market” !!
Duane
Learn Winning Persuasion
Techniques that Work Like Magic by Tapping Into the Psychology of
the Mind with Persuasion Expert Duane Cunningham!
A meme sounds like it might be what some call the collective memory, as a way to pass cultural “rules” from one generation to the next. As for sales, give me a positive meme in my sales packet and I’m a happy salesperson.
-Pat
Business Owners Fast Track to Internet Profits
Philip,
Looking forward to learning more about memes and marketing. I also liked this post because it touched upon some philosophy I find interesting, i.e. the philosophy of right or what’s “right” or “true”. Thanks for the post.
Health, Fitness — Darryl Pace
Indeed, I agree with John Ho. Make it easy for our brains to remember.
If we have to go through a lengthy description, we’ve lost them.
Then again, I have found it has taken me AWHILE to create and segue to a MEME. I sorta defined 3. And reworking those and will definitely use them within my website and blog in the coming weeks.
All the best,
April Braswell
Dating Expert and Relationship Coach
Online Dating Sites Review, Internet Dating Sites Guide
Memes are new to me and so I have found your post eye opening!!!
Expert in Medical Hypnosis,Success Thinking and Practical Parenting
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