Sky-rocketing customer experiences using the power of psychology

Check out this amazing insight! It’s mind-blowing how psychology and customer experience are connected, and how the theories of Jung and Lacan can unlock a whole new level of understanding. In today’s customer-focused business world, these insights are more important than ever. Brands that can grasp these deeper psychological concepts will forge incredible bonds with their customers, creating loyalty and advocacy that goes way beyond just a purchase.

It’s all about creating that deep, emotional connection that turns regular customers into passionate brand ambassadors and transforms ordinary brands into true cultural icons!

Consider Jung’s theory of collective unconscious. This concept refers to a part of the unconscious mind that is shared among all humans, comprising universal experiences, archetypes, and symbols. Unlike the personal unconscious, which is unique to each individual, the collective unconscious contains elements that are inherent and common to all people, such as instincts and inherited memories.

In the context of business, understanding the collective unconscious can be immensely beneficial. It allows leaders and marketers to tap into universal themes and symbols that resonate deeply with people, fostering a sense of connection and shared meaning. For instance, recognizing archetypes in branding can create powerful and relatable narratives that captivate audiences.

By aligning business strategies with these universal patterns, companies can build stronger, more meaningful relationships with their customers, inspire loyalty, and drive engagement.

He identified a number of archetypes including the Hero, the Outlaw, the Caregiver, the Explorer, and the Sage, among others. Each of these archetypes carries a set of values, emotions, and narratives associated with it. For instance, the Hero represents courage, determination, and the will to fight against the odds. The Caregiver symbolizes nurturing, protection, and selflessness.

Brands that have successfully harnessed the power of these archetypes connect with customers at a profoundly emotional level. For instance, Nike, with its ‘Just Do It’ slogan, appeals to the Hero archetype, inspiring customers to overcome their limitations. On the other hand, Johnson & Johnson, with its focus on nurturing and care, resonates with the Caregiver archetype.

If we delve deeper into Lacan’s concept of ‘The Other’. ‘The Other’ is an entity outside of ourselves that we seek recognition from, essentially a mirror reflecting our own identity. We strive to be validated by this ‘Other’, which in the context of customer experience, is often the brand. When customers identify with a brand, they see it as a reflection of their own values and aspirations. This identification leads to a strong emotional bond, fostering loyalty and advocacy.

For example, a brand like Tesla mirrors the values of innovation, sustainability, and forward-thinking, attracting customers who identify with these values. Similarly, Patagonia, an outdoor clothing brand, resonates with customers who value environmental sustainability, adventure, and exploration.

The Collective Unconcious

Tapping into the collective unconscious, as proposed by Carl Jung, is an exercise of sensitivity, intuition, and careful observation. It involves understanding the underlying narratives, symbols, and archetypes that resonate with a broad spectrum of people. Here are some elements to consider:

1. Observation of Societal Symbols and Narratives: Companies can study popular culture, literature, films, art, and even social media trends to identify prevailing symbols and narratives. These often reflect shared concerns, aspirations, and values, offering valuable insights into potential societal trends and customer needs.
2. Engagement with Customers: Direct engagement with customers through surveys, interviews, and social media interactions can provide companies with a wealth of information. These engagements can reveal commonalities in the way customers perceive and relate to a company’s products or services, which can be linked back to shared unconscious motivations and desires.
3. Exploration of Archetypes: Jung identified several universal archetypes that are shared across cultures and time. By understanding these archetypes, companies can anticipate how certain product or service ideas might be received by the collective unconscious. For example, a product that embodies the ‘Hero’ archetype may resonate with a broad audience’s inherent desire for triumph and success.
4. Collaboration with Experts: Working with psychologists, sociologists, and cultural anthropologists can give companies a deeper understanding of the collective unconscious. These experts can help identify and interpret societal trends and customer needs in light of Jungian theory.
5. Incorporating Collective Insights into Product Development and Marketing: Once a company gains insights into the collective unconscious, it should incorporate this understanding into its product development and marketing strategies. This might involve aligning a product with a particular archetype or crafting a marketing message that taps into shared narratives or symbols.

Archetypes

Brands that incorporate Jung’s archetypes do so by aligning their brand message, story, and values with a specific archetype that resonates with their target audience. This strategy allows brands to foster a deep emotional connection with their customers, as they’re not just selling a product or service, but a narrative and an identity that customers can relate to on a deeply personal level. Let’s go into a bit more detail on some examples of brands that incorporate these archetypes:

1. Hero Brands: Brands such as Nike and Under Armour have successfully adopted the Hero archetype. They inspire their customers to overcome challenges and strive for success. Their marketing narratives often involve stories of struggle, perseverance, and ultimate triumph. This resonates with the customer’s desire to overcome their own challenges and emerge victorious, thereby creating a powerful emotional connection.
2. Caregiver Brands: Johnson & Johnson and Dove are examples of brands that embody the Caregiver archetype. They emphasize care, protection, and nurturing. Their marketing campaigns often invoke feelings of warmth, security, and love. This resonates with customers who value these qualities, creating a deep emotional bond.
3. Explorer Brands: Brands such as Patagonia and Jeep represent the Explorer archetype. They encourage their customers to break free from the norm, seek new experiences, and embrace the unknown. Their brand narratives are filled with adventure and discovery, which resonate with customers who have an innate desire to explore and experience new things.
4. Outlaw Brands: Harley Davidson and Virgin are examples of Outlaw brands. They encourage rebellion against the status quo and celebrate individuality. This resonates with customers who feel constrained by societal norms and long for freedom and individual expression.
5. Lover Brands: Brands like Victoria’s Secret and Godiva have successfully adopted the Lover archetype. They focus on evoking feelings of passion, romance, and sensuality. This resonates with customers seeking these experiences, establishing a deep emotional bond.

By matching their brand message, values, and stories with a particular archetype, these brands create a powerful emotional bond with their customers. They’re not just successful because they offer fantastic products or services, but because they tap into their customers’ deepest desires, dreams, and values. This emotional bond sets these brands apart from their competition and turns their customers into loyal advocates.

And what about “The Other”?

The concept of “the other” from Lacanian psychoanalysis can indeed provide some insightful perspectives on customer experience. In Lacanian theory, “the Other” constitutes the realm of symbolic language and culture that we are born into. It’s the societal norms, expectations, and language that shape our identities and desires. And how can we connect it with customer experience, you might be asking yourself? Let’s take a look together:

1. Understanding and Fulfilling Desires: In Lacanian theory, the desires of the self are structured by the Other. In terms of customer experience, companies aim to understand these desires shaped by societal norms and expectations, and then create products, services, and experiences that fulfill them. The better a company can understand and cater to these desires, the more satisfying the customer experience.
2. Communication and Language: The Other also represents the realm of language. In customer experience, the way a company communicates with its customers — the language it uses, the narratives it creates — can significantly influence the customer’s perception of the brand. Effective communication that resonates with the customer’s worldview can enhance the customer experience.
3. Social Identity and Belonging: The Other shapes our social identity — the way we see ourselves in relation to the society we live in. Brands often play a role in shaping this social identity. For instance, a customer may choose a particular brand because it aligns with their self-image or the image they wish to convey to society. This sense of identity and belonging can greatly enhance the customer experience.
4. Expectations and Standards: The Other sets the standards and expectations. In the realm of customer experience, these societal standards influence what customers expect from a brand. If a company can meet or exceed these expectations, it can deliver a positive customer experience.

But that’s not all

As we have seen before, Lacanian theory can be instrumental for companies as they seek to understand and fulfill customer desires shaped by societal norms and expectations. By using Lacanian theory as a lens, businesses can gain a deeper understanding of the complex and often subconscious desires that drive customer behavior. Here are some other aspects to consider:

1. Understanding the Desire of the Other: Lacan’s concept of the “Desire of the Other” refers to the idea that our desires are not our own, but rather they are desires for what we perceive others desire. In a business context, this can translate to consumer trends where people often desire a product or service because they perceive that others desire it. By identifying these trends, businesses can position their offerings in a way that appeals to these shared societal desires.
2. Recognizing the Symbolic Order: The ‘Symbolic Order’ in Lacanian theory is the world of cultural norms, traditions, and language that shape our identities. Companies can tap into the symbolic order to understand societal norms and expectations that shape customer desires. For instance, if sustainability has become a significant part of the symbolic order, businesses can cater to this desire by offering eco-friendly products or demonstrating corporate social responsibility.
3. Interpreting the Signifier and the Signified: Lacan’s theory also delves into the relationship between the signifier (the word or symbol) and the signified (the concept it represents). For businesses, this understanding can enhance branding and marketing strategies. Companies can use signifiers in their branding that resonate with the societal norms and expectations, which in turn, can help to fulfill the customer’s desires.
4. The Role of the Imaginary: The Imaginary in Lacanian theory refers to our mental representations and idealized images. Companies can use this understanding to create aspirational branding that appeals to customers’ ideal self-image, thereby fulfilling their desires.

By applying these aspects of Lacanian theory, businesses can gain a more profound understanding of the societal norms and expectations that shape customer desires. This understanding can guide product development, branding, marketing, and overall business strategy, allowing companies to fulfill these desires and deliver superior customer experiences.

How to use these concepts in business

The psychological theories of Carl Jung and Jacques Lacan have profound implications for businesses, particularly in the area of customer experience. Their theories can help companies understand the underlying motivations, desires, and expectations of their customers, enabling them to design more engaging and satisfying experiences.

Jungian Theory and its Practical Uses

1. Personality Types and Customer Segmentation: Jung’s theory of psychological types can help businesses segment their customers more effectively. By understanding different personality types, businesses can tailor their communication, products, and services to match the preferences of various segments.
2. Archetypes in Branding: Jung’s concept of archetypes can be used to create strong, relatable brands. By aligning their brand with a specific archetype (such as the Hero, the Explorer, or the Caregiver), businesses can foster deeper emotional connections with their customers.
3. Collective Unconscious and Trend Forecasting: Jung’s idea of the collective unconscious, the shared, inherited reservoir of experiences, can help businesses anticipate societal trends and customer needs. By tapping into this shared subconscious, companies can develop products and services that resonate on a deeper, more universal level.

Lacanian Theory and its Practical Uses

1. Desire of the Other and Marketing Strategies: Lacan’s concept of “Desire of the Other” can inform marketing strategies. By understanding that people often desire what they perceive others desire, companies can use social proof (like testimonials and reviews) to enhance the desirability of their offerings.
2. Symbolic Order and Positioning: Lacan’s symbolic order can guide a company’s positioning. By aligning their offerings with cultural norms and societal expectations, businesses can better fulfill customer desires.
3. Imaginary and Aspirational Branding: Lacan’s concept of the Imaginary, the realm of mental images and fantasies, can inspire aspirational branding. By presenting their brand as an embodiment of customers’ ideal self-image, companies can create more compelling and engaging experiences.

Conclusion

In essence, the theories of Jung and Lacan provide a psychological blueprint for creating impactful customer experiences. They highlight the importance of understanding the unconscious desires and fears of customers, resonating with their identity, and creating a sense of belonging.

The concept of “the Other” from Lacan can be seen as the societal backdrop that shapes customer desires, communication, identity, and expectations. Understanding this concept can give businesses valuable insights into their customers’ psyche, helping them to enhance the customer experience.

Companies can conduct personality-type surveys on customer segmentation, use archetypal imagery in their branding, adopt social proof strategies in their marketing, position their offerings in line with societal norms, and develop aspirational branding campaigns that speak to customers’ ideal self-image. By applying these theories, companies can deepen their understanding of their customers, thereby creating more effective and satisfying customer experiences.

Are you ready to change your game and create more meaningful experiences for your customers?

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