Branding By Word of Mouth or the Power of the Story

Belief in a brand is the most powerful influence of all, even to the point of altering our physical sensations, mixing our own personal experiences, and reducing all we know about a brand to an easily accessible impression or perception.

Humans are social creatures. We’ve flourished on earth because we take advantage of the power of groups. And, human survival has depended on passing information from those we trust. Word of mouth has been with us from the beginning and is a key influencer in every marketing study ever done.

The closer someone is to us, the more we tend to trust their opinion. And, the more enthusiastic the endorsement, the more value it has to us. If we get a lukewarm recommendation, we probably won't run right out and take action. Our “gut” immediately decides whether the word of mouth we receive is credible and whether or not to pay attention. Studies have also shown that we alter our own memories of a brand experience depending on the opinion of others.

Brand memories are not unalterable snapshots. They get changed every time we retrieve them, altering them to fit the opinions of others and saving this altered memory. Others have such a powerful influence on our brand loyalties.