Oct
23
Bad Spellers Of The World: Untie
Filed Under Affinity Brand | Author: Gerald Smith |
I saw these words on a sign recently at a restaurant. How bold? If you depend on spellchecker like I do, it should give you pause for affirmation and belonging. Even a perceived weakness can be presented as a strength - when connected with a group. Especially when the group is being called to community (or unity in this case).
Connecting with a group of like-minded believers is a basic human need we all share and seek. Affinity is easily identified when it connects people by brand or activity, but what about individual talents or even challenges people face. These attributes pull people into community as much as any favored brand or activity. Misspelling wouldn’t really be considered an activity. Neither would dwarfism, but annually little people from around the world gather for a week of fellowship, fun, and dialog. I think this is affinity at it’s best, especially when it has nothing to do with choice.
Does affinity run deeper when it evolves from lack of choice? Would this be an alternative view for the basis of our laws on discrimination? (At minimum, a deeper appreciation for people that are different.)
Don’t take this wrong, I’m not suggesting misspelling is on par with little people or race or religion for that matter. Whatever be our individual challenges, interests, or strengths, affinity can usually be found in even the most basic of human trait.
Have you ever seen one of those stories on TV where two children with a really rare disease meet for the first time? That is affinity. The look on their faces. The feeling of, “connecting with someone just like me”. Where they can “belong” and “connect”.
Brand Affinity is strongest when it begins with community. And it is the ultimate position for any brand: to be the catalyst or connector between like-minded people who share interest. Does your brand provide a place of community: where people untie?
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