Faced with stiff competition from Silicon Valley, General Electric turned to storytelling and tribal thinking when developing a new strategy back in 2016. Their "What's the Matter with Owen?" campaign cast a socially awkward software engineer as the unlikely hero, ridiculed by everyone but clearly part of a smarter, future-facing ‘tribe’.
The results?
An eightfold increase in job applications.
Humans are intrinsically hardwired to respond to tribal identity, and we’re much more likely to be engaged and empathetic toward those we see as part of our group. By tapping into this instinct, GE positioned itself as the natural home for smart, ambitious engineers, just like Owen.
Watch below as Cognition’s Creative Director, Olly Forrester, explores how marketers can use tribal cues to connect with the right audiences to win hearts, minds and those all-important conversions.
Download our guide to discover 4 lessons from the world of psychology and how to apply them to your brand to generate results.
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