Simon Sinek argues that successful brands communicate an emotional "why" that people relate to (not necessarily their product or price). Using Apple ("think different", iMac as "me") and Southwest Airlines (everyman freedom/populist messaging) as examples, he explains how a clear emotional cause makes people champion a brand even if they don't use the product. He suggests crypto has strong rational arguments but struggles to articulate an emotionally resonant "why" that ordinary people can relate to.
Chapters
Apple talked about think different. Who are they describing? Their customers or their employees? The answer is yes. The answer is, I believe what you believe. I don't work for you. Or I believe what you believe. I want to buy from you. Okay. Steve Jobs was a multi billionaire to whom we cannot relate. And when he died, average people laid wreaths at retail stores. That makes no sense. It's because he said something that captured something for us, which is stand up to Big Brother, which is why he appealed to creative people and young people, because creative people and young people kind of love the idea of standing up to Big Brother. And you only ever see individuals in the commercials, one person versus the machine. And it's called imac. Not because it's on the Internet. It's because it's me. It's I. Right? Or Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines stands freedom. You are free to move about the country. Just power to the common man. It is an everyman populist message. I do not like flying Southwest Airlines. I am happy to pay more money to have my seat assigned to me, and I'm guaranteed to get my window. I really, really like that model. I don't like standing in line hoping I get a seat that I like. However, I love Southwest Airlines message. And I will preach from the treetops how wonderful I think they are, even though I will pay money not to fly their product. So you don't even have to like the product to want to champion the cause. So if crypto got its message right, it doesn't matter whether I'll use it. It doesn't matter whether I'll benefit from it. It doesn't matter if I understand it. If I relate to your cause, I will stand on the treetops and say, I think that is the greatest thing ever, and I think we should all pay attention to it, even if it's not for me. And the fact that I'm struggling to understand either. I don't share your beliefs, which I don't think is right, because a lot of my friends are in the business, and I like them and I like their values. So that can't be right. So maybe where it's falling apart is it's not being clearly articulated to me in terms that I can emotionally relate to. When you talk about a system or a product, like moving this from here to that, it's rational and great. Whys great causes are emotional. We the people ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country. I have a dream that one day, little black children will play on the playground with little white children. These are deeply, deeply emotional messages that you interpret through your own lens. And you ascribe value to yourself, even though it's not there for you in the first place. And the fact that I would interpret your why into my world, it means it's succeeding. So it might be a brilliant paper. The question has it been distilled to a simple understand, just do it. You know, think different. That helps me emotionally connect to it. It's deeply rational, but I don't know if it's yet emotional.
