I recently watched a YouTube video about an event where Late Night host Jimmy Fallon, and the band U2, went to the 42 st. Subway in New York's Grand Central station for a little 'busking' experiment (See the video here: https://youtu.be/aluYo-FSqiw)

You'll notice at the beginning of the event, while everyone thought they were just ordinary buskers, the band got very little notice or crowd response. It wasn't until Jimmy Fallon and the band took off their disguises and Jimmy announced to the crowd "This is the band U2" that everyone suddenly became interested and gathered to watch. Same people...same music...different results.

People tend to get hung up on "fame" and "brands", often time paying much more than reasonable market prices, simply to have that "special" brand in their possession. Yet there are others, who are seemingly uninterested in such things. Major brands are aware of these two categories of consumers and market accordingly. In fact the entire "generic" market is littered with "brand named" products, cleverly concealed within plain packaging. The manufactures of these products have learned that a segment of their market will pay a premium for the "perceived" value of the brand, while they will also make a profit selling at a reduced price to the "generic" crowd. Same product...same company...different perceptions.

Keep this in mind when building your practice and working with your clients. Learn what their perceptions of the world are, so that you can best meet them in 'their' reality, in order to facilitate the best possible effect for change.

Michael C. White, C.Ht.