HOW DOES THE MANDELA EFFECT INFLUENCE MARKETING ?
The Mandela Effect is a phenomenon in which a large segment of a population shares an incorrect event or memory that never occurred. Fiona Broome came up with this term after she was at a conference in which her shared memory believed that Nelson Mandela died in the 1980s. But in the conference, Mandela was alive and released from prison in the 1990s.
The Mandela Effect is evidence that the multiverse does exist. Some characteristics of the effect include the occurrence of false memories, false contextualization of events, ignoring linguistics, and distortion of memories. There is an idea that within each universe there are parallel realities and alternate versions of events. Like déjà vu which can be explained by confabulation which is an unintentional distortion of memory.
Some examples include Snow White, which most believe that the famous line is “Mirror, mirror on the wall,” but really, it is, “Magic mirror on the wall.” Then, The Berenstein Bears or The Berenstain Bears? Some people remember it one way or the other. So, how does this tie into marketing? Well, brand recognition is a huge part of marketing. It is possible that products are so heavily marketed that our memories become blurred and lead us to believe certain things.
All vary from books, logos, movies, historical events, etc. The Mandela Effect popularizes most of these events. For example, in Snow White, you may watch the movie back to ensure what was said. The ‘false experience effect’ can influence what we choose to buy, but how we perceive ourselves, our memories, and society. The phenomena like the Mandela Effect could be misused by false advertising claims.
Now, brands must deliver a clear message that can continuously be reinforced. But brands do not have control over how their messages are perceived and remembered. Understanding false memories and misconceptions where there is market research help brands understand, change, and reinforce narratives. Hence, the more familiar something is, the more memorable it becomes.