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Talk human to me: Understanding the new ways we interact with brands
From social media to AI to celebrity endorsements — brands interact with us on a more personal level than ever. But how does that change our relationship with the products we buy and the companies that serve us? In the latest episode of the Rotman Executive Summary, professor Pankaj Aggarwal explores how the way we anthropomorphize brands is changing, and why that matters.
Show notes
[0:00] “Think back to your childhood and the foods you ate. Did you enjoy Tony the Tiger’s Frosted Flakes? Lucky the leprechaun’s Lucky Charms? Snap, Crackle and Pop’s Rice Krispies?
As adults, we cook with Betty Crocker, eat at Wendy’s, clean with Mr. Clean. The products we buy and the food we eat are replete with mascots and human stand-ins.
It’s called anthropomorphizing — the act of humanizing inanimate objects or situations. Companies have long known that putting a human — or human-esque — face on a brand makes it more relatable.”
[0:45] Why Coca-Cola might be the post famous anthropomorphized brand.
[1:21] Meet Pankaj Aggarwal, an expert in marketing who has extensively studied how, and why, we we sometime treat brands like humans.
[2:45]: Why do we anthropomorphize objects as kids? And how does that change as we become adults?
[3:48] A brief overview of how we humanize products, think mascots and celebrities.
[4:32] When we treat brands like their humans, we tend to form more “human-like” relationship and start applying human norms on otherwise inanimate objects.
[6:00] For example, we use humanized products to be extensions of ourselves…
[6:41] …we’re less judgmental when it comes to anthropomorphized object…
[7:31] …and, we are less likely to haggle on prices…
[7:58] …and we really want all the parts to be from the same manufacturer.
[8:54] What are the implications in our social connected, "cancel culture" for when a humanized brand screws up?
[10:27] Gender-neutral products, and the unintended consequences of best intentions.
[12:09] Companies need to be more purposeful in how they talk to customers.
[13:13] The situations where you probably don’t want to anthropomorphize a brand
[15:36] "I think in some ways, it's better to be overtly clear to the consumers what gender for example, the brand has, what personality trait your brand has. Because that is the cue that people use to imbue on the brand. If you leave it abstract or vague, different consumers may think of it somewhat differently. And it's obviously going to be biased by say their own views of the world their own views of humans. And that's not ideal, so it's better to be as clear as possible, whether it's giving it a name, whether it's giving it a personality through advertising, through commercials, whether it's kind of showing the celebrity or the or the mascot, any of those things is better than just leaving it ambiguous."
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By Rotman School of ManagementFrom social media to AI to celebrity endorsements — brands interact with us on a more personal level than ever. But how does that change our relationship with the products we buy and the companies that serve us? In the latest episode of the Rotman Executive Summary, professor Pankaj Aggarwal explores how the way we anthropomorphize brands is changing, and why that matters.
Show notes
[0:00] “Think back to your childhood and the foods you ate. Did you enjoy Tony the Tiger’s Frosted Flakes? Lucky the leprechaun’s Lucky Charms? Snap, Crackle and Pop’s Rice Krispies?
As adults, we cook with Betty Crocker, eat at Wendy’s, clean with Mr. Clean. The products we buy and the food we eat are replete with mascots and human stand-ins.
It’s called anthropomorphizing — the act of humanizing inanimate objects or situations. Companies have long known that putting a human — or human-esque — face on a brand makes it more relatable.”
[0:45] Why Coca-Cola might be the post famous anthropomorphized brand.
[1:21] Meet Pankaj Aggarwal, an expert in marketing who has extensively studied how, and why, we we sometime treat brands like humans.
[2:45]: Why do we anthropomorphize objects as kids? And how does that change as we become adults?
[3:48] A brief overview of how we humanize products, think mascots and celebrities.
[4:32] When we treat brands like their humans, we tend to form more “human-like” relationship and start applying human norms on otherwise inanimate objects.
[6:00] For example, we use humanized products to be extensions of ourselves…
[6:41] …we’re less judgmental when it comes to anthropomorphized object…
[7:31] …and, we are less likely to haggle on prices…
[7:58] …and we really want all the parts to be from the same manufacturer.
[8:54] What are the implications in our social connected, "cancel culture" for when a humanized brand screws up?
[10:27] Gender-neutral products, and the unintended consequences of best intentions.
[12:09] Companies need to be more purposeful in how they talk to customers.
[13:13] The situations where you probably don’t want to anthropomorphize a brand
[15:36] "I think in some ways, it's better to be overtly clear to the consumers what gender for example, the brand has, what personality trait your brand has. Because that is the cue that people use to imbue on the brand. If you leave it abstract or vague, different consumers may think of it somewhat differently. And it's obviously going to be biased by say their own views of the world their own views of humans. And that's not ideal, so it's better to be as clear as possible, whether it's giving it a name, whether it's giving it a personality through advertising, through commercials, whether it's kind of showing the celebrity or the or the mascot, any of those things is better than just leaving it ambiguous."