Pop quiz: what is the longest running marketing campaign in history?

The longest-running marketing campaign in history is still going strong after tens of thousands of years.

Can you guess what it is?

Answer: Religion.

Religion has understood the fundamentals of brand development since time immemorial.  It successfully uses all the building blocks to create emotional and intellectual bonds with people, such as:

          - Symbols and sounds.

          - Constant call to action.

          - Differentiated environment.

          - Belief system.

          - Fear of the alternative.

Ever purchased a product you just couldn’t do without?  Ever wondered how some products just seem to click with everyone?  The inspiration for these products actually came from us in the first place.

Companies achieve this by obtaining our buy-in to what we already believe we need.  They know what we value; what we care about and sell it back to us at a premium.

Religion was savvy enough to work this out a long time ago.  There is no product that has lasted as long as religion.

Well, perhaps prostitution – but that’s for another blog! (maybe)

If your company is looking to create a divergence; a movement; a legion of followers - then a look at the success of religion could provide the inspiration you need.

Alternatively, you could do nothing and hope that divine intervention saves your business anyway.