Doing TOV Is My Brand

Derek Thompson wrote an essay in The Atlantic Magazine. He talks about "branding", that marketers seeking to sell products understand, as do cult leaders, that we often find our individuality in a crowd! He defines "brand" as a signal, good or bad, that influences a consumer's decision to by a product.

Research shows that typically, the more information consumers have, the better they are at ignoring corporate iconography. For instance, one 2014 study showed that doctors and pharmacists are more likely to buy store brand headache remedies than national brands. Advertising thrives in markets where consumers are essentially clueless. Growing up in the 50's, we trusted what the TV said about branded products.

Now with the internet, and all of the information floating around and product reviews, we're more likely to trust this information because it is not coming from corporate advertising. However, in categories like cars and clothes, brands also help us communicate our identities and individualities. As branding loses some of its influence, companies are now shifting their marketing efforts ever more strongly to the other source of brand advantage -- identity and community.

Thompson stated," Recently, many of the most successful new brands have been looking to an unusual but powerful source or inspiration: religious cults." Cults are built on the paradox that we feel most like ourselves, when we're part of a group. One of the hallmarks of a cult is members unite to oppose what they see as an oppressive or illegitimate mainstream culture. Basically, all advertising is manipulation and this type takes advantage of a particular vulnerability -- our need to be unique and belong to a group at the same time.

What does this have to do with TOV? Thompson goes on to mention that bringing people together to share what they love leads to a big spike in activity. What they realized is this -- people aren't really motivated by companies, they're motivated by Other People. People are what make the product cool.

TOV is a "brand" that encourages and helps individuals and groups to come together under the banner of the TOV Standard and incorporate TOV Values into their words, thoughts and actions. The focus of the TOV Brand is -- Protecting Life, Preserving Life, Increasing the Quality of Life, and Making Life more Functional.

When "ME's" start creating values-based relationships and moving in the same direction – they become the "WE.” “WE” can do so much more than a “Me” or “You” to heal and repair lives and make our world more whole -- and that includes our lives as well.

TOV Values provide a common ground to motivate people to find solutions and resolutions to common problems, or problems we all have in common. In doing so, we find that we really do need each other, that there is strength in numbers, and that our uniqueness is not only a real asset, it is appreciated too. The TOV Brand offers an opportunity for "ME's" to gather together and become a "WE!" TOV is my brand. I would love to see you make TOV your Brand too!

Choose Life – By Doing TOV!

Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor

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