Brains of Apple fanboys respond to brand like religion, says neuroscience (1 Viewer)

Martin

Senior Member
Dec 31, 2000
56,913
#1
“UK neuroscientists suggested that the brains of Apple devotees are stimulated by Apple imagery in the same way that the brains of religious people are stimulated by religious imagery.”

But you already knew this, right? Why else would Apple stores look like austere temples, replete with the graven idols of 30″ Cinema Displays and iPhones perched upon pedestals like holy statuary.

While it’s easy (and fun) to mock the world’s most fetishized partial objects, the cold hard truth is that enthusiasts’ reactions to Apple are no different than the reactions to other mega-brands among their followers. Apple is just much better at this kind of marketing than anyone else.

The statement of the neuroscientists and the image above come from a BBC documentary called Secrets of the Superbrands. The documentary discusses the ability of certain world-renown brands to elicit euphoric or devoted response from consumer, and the psychology and neuroscience behind it. The documentary attempts to conclude that “it’s by tapping into our basic needs, like gossip, religion or sex that these brands are taking over our world at such lightning speed,” but that seems to gloss over what is really happening.

I suspect that what makes certain brands achieve this particular status is their ability to disguise or hide the pedestrian technical details of their products in favor of deliver a more potent and magical message: there is something you, the consumer, want to become-more popular more connected, more trendy, more cool, and these products give you the illusion of achieving that. I say it’s an illusion because the reality is that rather than bringing the consumer closer to achieving that fantasy, the product intercedes and mediates the consumers relationship to that fantasy, teasing it, but never delivering.

That’s the essence of commodity fetishism, and that’s what these megabrands deliver to their fans. That’s what religion delivers to believers as well. We constantly and repeatedly promise you heaven, but not yet, and only according to our system of rules.

And that’s why both groups are deeply devoted, emotionally invested, and impervious to rational argument.

http://partialobjects.com/2011/05/b...ond-to-brand-like-religion-says-neuroscience/


And as I have observed over 10+ years among football fans it's exactly the same. The relationship is slightly different, not a human to an object, but still the same worship of a brand.
 

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Elvin

Senior Member
Nov 25, 2005
36,809
#3
And as I have observed over 10+ years among football fans it's exactly the same. The relationship is slightly different, not a human to an object, but still the same worship of a brand.
Duh! I feel happy hormones whenever I see Juve logo, or anything remotely resembling black and white stripes.
 

Rollie

Senior Member
Apr 15, 2008
5,143
#16
And Cocaine stimulates the same part of the brain that winning money does. Neuroscience, she's cool.

People need to be aware of the origin of their impulses, aware of their decisions and the consequences of their actions... aware that there will always be people trying to exploit them. But Apple products also work pretty well.

4 years later, used/in transit basically everyday, downloaded hundreds of movies, and my MacBook is still working perfectly; never had so much as a virus, or a dead pixel in the screen. Totally satisfied.
 

AndreaCristiano

Nato, Vive, e muore Italiano
Jun 9, 2011
18,992
#20
I own an iMac and iPod had an iPad but don't ever use tablets so I sold it. Had all the iPhones left for android, but I'm going back with iPhone5. Also have a CR-48 Google Chrome notebook. Im 35
 

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