Determine Geisteshaltung

Every successful brand is based on a Geisteshaltung that it shares with its customers.

The Science Behind It

People almost never make exclusively rational decisions, because rational decisions are slow and very energy-intensive. Instead, the brain uses so-called intuitive heuristics –>to solve complex problems.

For (purchase) decisions, subjective theories -> are such a heuristic. A subjective theory represents an individual explanatory model for a certain area of life, on the basis of which decisions are made. In case of doubt, a subjective theory can only be valid for one person. Namely for the person whose theory it is.

Examples of subjective theories

The area of life known as “work” can be approached with two subjective theories, among others:

a) I work in order to live
b) I live in order to work

Both theories are correct – for those who have them. Both theories explain how a person will decide when it comes to making a decision in the area of work.

Subjective theories for brands

When it comes to sport, most people have a subjective theory („No sports” would be one of them, but it probably has no commercial value). Let’s take two practical subjective theories

a) Sport means fighting – against others and myself
b) Sport means harmonising body and mind

A brand like Under Armour appeals to supporters of the first theory. Asics (Anima Sana in Corpore Sano) addresses the second group.

Conversely, people with the corresponding theory find it very easy to identify with one brand or another, because subjective theories reduce complex problems to a simple yes-no question: Am I this kind of person? Answering this question is much easier than finding out which of two possible T-shirts is objectively the better one.

Subjective theory and Geisteshaltung using the example of sport: How do you think about sport? Sport is struggle or sport is balancing. Your subjective theory will influence your choice of brand.

Determine subjective theories

The best thing about subjective theories: you don’t have to make them up. There are valid methods to determine them objectively. One of these is the structure laying technique ->. We use a variant adapted to the needs of the brand industry to find out what drives the target groups (which we have ideally determined beforehand with our target group profiler -> ).

A subjective theory that can be found in the consumer and at the same time can be lived and credibly represented by the brand is what we call Geisteshaltung.

It connects brand and target group and literally represents the centre of a successful brand positioning ->.

Geisteshaltung in Practice