What Could Marketers Learn From Conspiracy Theories?
Conspiracy theories have been around as long as there have been people. Most are total nonsense. While some are fun “what if” types of stories (e.g., Bigfoot, any book by Dan Brown, etc.), others have had some absolutely terrible real world consequences by normal folks going too far down a rabbit hole.
In spite of that, they continue to spread and have found more footing now than likely ever before.
As someone who tries to make sense of varying view points and figuring out why people believe the things they do, I’ve learned more about that side of the internet than I really care to. That process has led me to believe that there is quite a bit marketers could learn from the growth of conspiracy theories.
We could also use those learnings to create more appealing (and healthier!) spaces online.
The Customer Journey Isn’t a Straight Line
I work in B2B marketing and consistently hear about where customers are “in the funnel.” We look at our target audience as if they are going to neatly move from awareness to consideration to purchase in a mostly orderly fashion.
Most people don’t think that linearly. They certainly don’t act that way. Our very online world is full of ADD targets with a million browsers open. A person may go from awareness to consideration to out of a funnel to buying a service because they were on a deadline and clicked the top Google result in a mad dash.
A stereotypical conspiracy theorist’s cork board is probably a more accurate reflection of a customer journey.
It’s chaotic. Disorderly. There are connections there that may not totally make sense on the surface. Or even below the surface. Humans in general are messy and our customers’ buying patterns probably reflect that more often than we’d like to admit.
Which leads me to my next learning…
Be Cautious with Attribution
Marketing attribution is an important thing. After all, we want to prove that our marketing campaigns did lead to revenue growth. We also want to know where we can best allocate our resources for the next best thing. It’s a noble pursuit and we should aim to get better at it if we want to grow in our careers.
That process can also tempt us to unintentionally create a story that isn’t there. We’re trying to make sense of something and connect the dots to explain an outcome.
Sure, that new client signed a $100,000 deal with us after attending a company-sponsored wine tasting…but that doesn’t mean that Cabernet Sauvignon is a key metric for marketing conversions, as convenient and “data-centered” of a conclusion that would be. There may have been many other efforts over the year that had more influence on that customer’s purchase decision than a single event.
Our human brains aren’t very comfortable with grey areas. We don’t like gaps in stories, so we naturally fill them in as best we can.
Conspiracy theories do the same. Someone who tries to make sense of things may get so wrapped up in researching details they make correlations that feel evidence-based but are creating scenarios that just don’t exist.
Attribution and conspiracies also run the risk of being overly influenced by bias. We want our marketing ideas to be the catalyst for growth. A conspiracy theorist wants their research to uncover evidence against people they dislike or distrust.
If they try hard enough, both parties can convince themselves they’re right.
The Power of a Compelling Story
One thing that great marketing campaigns and sticky conspiracy theories have in common is a compelling story. Maybe not a “good” story but one that grabs your attention and makes you want to dig in a bit more.
Storytelling is an overused theme in many marketing-themed LinkedIn posts but it’s so true. Brands that can tell really compelling stories are going to draw more people in. They don’t have to grab your attention in a “train wreck” type of way that many conspiracies might.
And quite honestly, they shouldn’t.
As a marketer, you could help tell a story that serves as a wonderful distraction for consumers while adding to the stakeholder value of your company.
Stories can bring people into knowing more about your brand. Eventually, they’ll want to be part of your story.
Which brings me to my final learning point:
The Value of a Passionate Online Community
Some of the best brands out there have the strongest sense of community around its customer base. The easiest correlation is comparing raving online communities for TV show brands. One I’ll pick at random is The Bachelor.
The Bachelor has a once-a-week show. But then they provide places for fans to connect. They host brackets. They talk about watch parties. There are podcasts. There is Reality Steve giving you “the real information” that you aren’t getting from the show. The brand of The Bachelor facilitates fan engagement well and then offshoot communities spring off of it.
Apple does this as well. There are bloggers trying to leak secrets. Speculate as to what is going on. Apple Events serve as the exclusive place to hear the new information dropping and online communities spin off of the content, messaging and products from Apple.
Most modern day conspiracies function in a similar fashion.
People are part of the story. They’re meant to check in on a certain channel for new information. Then they go out and try to dig in more. They listen to podcasts about that conspiracy. They do their own research. They try to fill in the gaps. Eventually most of their online time is spent trying to figure out the missing pieces of the story. Biases connect dots until new “information” comes out.
It’s not a healthy manifestation of online community but there are clear parallels between brand marketing and conspiracy groups.
Marketers have an opportunity to build community around fans. To create content that captures attention but makes people want to search for more. It’s possible to add value to the bottom line while also giving people a healthier and more positive way to spend time and mental energy.
Instead of the deep state, it’s Tim Cook and trying to dissect what Apple product feature is coming next by observing what isn’t announced. It’s a Peloton user joining a community of people for a spin class time.
I’m Not Advocating For Cult-like Brands
I saw a slide from this keynote on LinkedIn not long ago and cringed.
Brands should never try to get into “religion” territory with fans. Nor should they have the audacity to think they can.
While I’m not encouraging people to turn your target customer into a cult member of your brand, there are healthy ways that we as marketers can bring people into our brand’s story.
To be realistic about their attention span.
Give them something to be part of that’s larger than themselves.
To be more aware (and realistic) of how we measure marketing success.
Conspiracy theories grow because they add clarity to a confusing world, even if it’s not true. They can be addictively entertaining.
Marketers have the ability to give the world other options of how to spend time online in more compelling ways. How could we redirect people from the negative (and potentially destructive) allure of conspiracies and engage in something more fun?
It’s possible.
After all, one woman left QAnon over Wordle.
What value could you add?