I'm sitting here listening to a colleague have a conversation about a college football game this weekend. He keeps referring to the team as "we"....


And not only is he not on the football team .... he didn't even go to that university.
I think it's great that he refers to the team and school as "we." Because he feels like he's a kindred spirit. And it makes him a part of something bigger than himself.
That's exactly how great companies make you feel - like you're one of them. Like you feel their pain and experience their joy. They make you want to talk about "our" and "we." Not "them." You are in the family. And the sooner more companies .... from the Fortune 50s to the mom-and-pops - realize this, the better off they will be.
The company side of the coin should be very concerned about and aware of the "us and them" mentality. And shed it as quickly as possible. No, it's not touchy-feely marketing. It's smart. And it goes far beyond marketing. It's about making connections with people. And I think you'll find that making a connection turns a consumer into a valuable asset–which just got you out of the widget business and into something much, much bigger.


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The "WE" Mentality

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Spike Jones

Firestarter
Brains on Fire

Spike Jones hails from the Lone Star state, where they brainwash you at an early age to take pride in who you are and where you're from (and they sure got a hold of him). After graduating from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, he bounced around the country and finally landed in the Southeast over at the naming and identity company of Brains on Fire (www.brainsonfire.com).

He began his career there as a copywriter, crafting compelling stories for national and international clients. And while Spike still enjoys wordsmithing, he is now involved on the creative strategy side of the business from insight to the creation of word of mouth movements to building regional and national identities for companies across many industries. Brands he’s helped strengthen include BMW, Rawlings Sporting Goods, Dagger Kayaks, Don Pablo’s Mexican Restaurants, Fiskars Brands, Yakima, Perception Kayaks and Rage Against the Haze (South Carolina’s youth-led anti-tobacco movement).

Spike has been a speaker at national and local events and is the main contributor to the Brains on Fire group blog (www.brainsonfire.com/blog), which discusses current naming, identity and word of mouth issues and trends. It is also among the top read and resourced blogs in the marketing industry

When he’s not around his favorite people in the world (his fellow Brains on Fire-mates) or traveling around the country, you can find Spike out for a run flanked by his 100 lb. Chocolate lab, Mud.

Contact info:
Brains on Fire
148 River Street, Suite 100
Greenville, SC 29601
864.676.9663

web: brainsonfire.com
blog: brainsonfire.com/blog
that fancy electronic mail: spike@brainsonfire.com