Emergence & Why the Power of Groups Shape SEM

Wisdek Reviews A Brief History of Emergence

To understand the science of Emergence, we must first understand the concept of Eugenics and evolution. To do so, the following paragraphs will consider Sir Francis Galton and his contributions to the school of thought that sparked the idea for a business that continues to change the world: Google.

Galton’s Contributions to the Business World & Online Marketing

One day Sir Galton was traveling through a county fair. Here, he encountered a group of people who he considered to belong to a segment of the population which should not be allowed to procreate (to put it mildly). They were gathered around a large bison. Whoever was successful at guessing the weight of the bison was to be awarded with a cash prize.

By no surprise, all of the guesses were wrong. But, Galton was a very curious man. He asked the organizer of the contest to supply him with all 800 guesses. To his surprise, the average number from the guesses was 1887, a mere 1 pound away from the actual weight. What this proved, is that even though on an individual basis they were not the most intelligent people on the planet, their combined understanding of the world proved to be incredibly accurate. This is what defines emergence.

This is how a successful business is run. The success of a business is not built on one man`s shoulders. It is the culmination of many people`s education, experience, and insight. Weaknesses are subdued, strengths are recognized and reinforced, and the world is understood accurately. Google’s ranking system works in much the same way.

Fast forward to the current century, today every business either ranks at the top of Google for a handful of key phrases (or as we call them, revenue streams)… if not, they strive to do so. But, how does Google work?

Much like the honey bee, Google happens by accident. Bee drones wander around mindlessly. When these drones encounter anything of interest, pheromones are released. These pheromones attract other bees, and if they are interested more pheromones are released. With enough bees interested in the same object, a pathway is created so that the entire colony gathers around the same object. This is how Google works (just substitute the pheromones for an electronic point system or “algorithm”)

Wisdek reviews of Google`s algorithm system has determined that no individual can decide what Google displays. The general public decides by confirming interest, linking to the information, and by contributing to the conversation. Individually, Google users are not necessarily intelligent or influential, but as a group they are inherently and consistently correct about what matters.

The Impact of “Belief” Messages and Lifestyle Branding

For arguments sake, let`s take a short look at the evolution of Marketing. Aside from word-of-mouth, the Logo was the first measurable instance of advertising. When ancient Greece first became a major trading center, producers of goods and services needed a way to identify themselves. The trouble was that the vast majority of the population was illiterate. In response, symbols were introduced. These symbols drew reference from a combination of everyday life imagery as well as mythology. They connected the product with the producer.

Fast forward to modern times: people are much more literate; however their connection with logos has stayed intact. The symbol contains much more opportunity to serve as a catalyst for establishing an emotional connection across a much broader spectrum than a line of text ever could.

Sigmund Freud elaborated on this phenomenon with social psychology and his nephew, Edward Bernays brought this idea to America. During the 1929 Easter parade (very popular at the time with tons of media coverage) Bernays took on a challenge set forth by the Lucky Strike cigarette company.

At the time, men were avid smokers, but there was a taboo about women who smoke. Lucky Strike was missing literally half of their customer base. Until then, companies were only advertising physical characteristics about their products or services. Bernays, using Freud`s research, advertised with the intent of eliciting an emotional connection between the consumer and the product, instead of focusing on the features.

Bernays hired a group of socialites to join the parade. They lit cigarettes, and told the world that they were “torches of freedom.” You see, this was also at the height of the Women`s Rights Movement. Other women seeing this saw it as a call to arms. Smoking for women was no longer taboo; it was a rebellion against the oppression from men. This is why Bernays is considered to be the “father of modern marketing and public relations.” He sold a belief system not a product.

To this day, businesses have been following suit. We can take both Nike and Apple into consideration as widely known examples of lifestyle brands. What does Nike sell? The obvious answer is “shoes”. However, if you pay attention to their print ads and television commercials you will quickly realize this is not quite the case. Rather, Nike has successfully aligned themselves with a philosophy. They showcase athletes at the top of their game. What they are really selling is the potential to be great based on taking action. “Just do it” sells a lifestyle.

Make Your Online Content Inspire

With a slogan like “Think Different,” Apple is not selling computers, they are selling a vision. “We believe that people with passion can change the world for the better. Those people that are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who actually do.” Statements like this alongside images of Einstein, John Lennon, and the Dali Lama lead the public to believe: “I am not part of the status quo. I too can change the world”. They are selling the dream.

This is how nature works. This is how Google works. If you are smart, this is how your business works too. Take a cue from Sir Francis Galton, from Edward Bernays, and from Google. Acknowledge Emergence and let it thrive in you work place. You don’t have to adjust your branding to reach people on an emotional level. Content is highly valued in online marketing and this can be reinforced by Wisdek reviews which focused on this topic. Simply weave a branded inspirational message throughout your content moving forward, and watch your client’s loyalty develop.

Written By: Courtney Dale & Ryan Judd

Sources:

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Galton)

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays)