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We live in a world of frames. In particular, since more than half of the countries in the world emerged from a ban lasting several months, our experience is limited and contained within the framework. We don't read about it, we only see it. What is special about the frame is that the viewer only sees what is in the frame. There is no way of knowing what is outside the frame, what came before, or why the frame is composed as it is.

Political commentator Bill Whittle comments: “As we spend more and more time experiencing the world through the frame and the internet has brought the whole world into our homes (but only what's inside the frame), an interesting thing happens Phenomenon. We seem to talk to each other less and instead watch what the others are doing. "

This means that our language has become visual.

There is a difference in how the human brain works when it is watching and reading. Reading is an active process. It requires the creation of an "inner voice" that increases our attention span. When we look at words, we create thoughts about the words we read. We are actively involved in processing the information.

Watching a video is passive. Videos are processed 60,000 times faster than text. With people hard-wired to avoid demanding cognitive strains, it's no surprise that Nielsen (two years ago) said the average U.S. adult sees 6 hours of video a day. I bet that number went up in 2020. This passive nature of the video allows us to sit back and make a sensitive connection to what we see. We are more emotionally attached to a video than to something we read, and this is partly due to a process called the mirror neuron mechanism.

The mirror in the frame

Dr. Liraz Margalit says: “A mirror neuron is a neuron that is triggered not only when we do something ourselves, but also when we see someone else doing the same thing. Our brain reflects what is going on in front of us as if we were part of the scene, even if we are only passively sitting on the edge. When it comes to mirroring neurons, there is no difference between cinema and real life. This suggests that we could actually (in a small but significant way) experience the pain (and supposedly also the joys) of those we experience on the screen. This neurological activity makes the viewer much more emotional. "

We are in the middle of a great cultural moment, the explosiveness of which is only exacerbated by the trend to switch from reading, which is a logical, logical mental activity, to visual, which is a feeling and an unreasonable activity. While we need both, we also need to recognize that we are leaning strongly to one side at this point, and that means instability.

How brands shape perception is now even more critical. All communication must be checked for feelings. Every symbol and every message must be checked for possible violations. Some social media audiences will look for inconsistencies to drag your brand across the public space, which can have a significant impact on stock prices.

The neurologist Donald Calne summarizes the power of emotions for each brand owner: “Reason leads to conclusions. Emotions lead to actions. "

With that in mind, be careful. People feel more than they think and it is easy for things to get out of control quickly.

The Blake project can help: Build the right perceptions for your brand in The Brand Positioning Workshop

Brand Strategy Insider is a service from The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy that specializes in brand research, brand strategy, brand growth and brand building

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