MINDSPACE

November 7, 2005

MINDSPACE
THE STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS
By Rommey Hassman MBA
Translated from Hebrew by Lori Bull

Originally published in GLOBES Brand Index 2005, pgs 98-105

Recently I had a conversation with a good

friend, an employee of the formerly
known cable company TEVEL, now
known as HOT. To my amazement, he
explained that he still receives his
paycheck from TEVEL. The merger of the
three Israeli cable companies wrapped up
in a new brand name sounds outwardly
impressive. The logo is nice, the slogan
attractive, and both are formulated based
on accepted principles from the gospel of
branding1. But it's no wonder that some of
us are confused, and ask ourselves, "Am
I connected to TEVEL now or to HOT?";
"Is my home cable converter box TEVEL
digital or HOT digital?".
They say the merged company paid a
million and a half dollars to experts who
wrote the HOT brand book. At the end of
the day it appears that the public has
been convinced:
there is a new
company, a new name, a single customer
service telephone number, but are the
employees
completely
convinced?
According to their paychecks, one can't
be sure.

scandal2. The company was divided into

two separate units, each one given a new
name, but everyone is still confused.
The same thing happened with the local
Israeli specialty retailer with the new
name: GOLF & Co. "So you can buy
clothes at GOLF, and you can buy house
wares at GOLF, andwhat? What's the
connection?". Mainly the attempt to
contract the GOLF apparel chain's
enhanced image, and transfer it to the
area of house wares, like RALPH
LAUREN did in the USA. This is a
strategic step that doesn't always prove to
be successful or correct.
At the other end, the deep end of the
pendulum, the concept of Brand Essence
dominates3. Within this framework, the
company decides to adopt the idea of
branding into the soul of the organization.
Not only outwardly, but a new
organizational-managerial concept. This
is how STARBUCKS works all of its
employees believe that they are working
in an industry of "rewarding everyday
The Brand Essence Model

LOGO VS ESSENCE
The issue of an organization deciding to
undergo a process of re-branding leads to
a very basic model that answers the
question, what is the depth of the
selected branding process? At the
shallow end of the pendulum, the concept
of Brand LOGO dominates. Within its
framework, the company decides to
change its name, logo and slogan, and
the process ends here. This is what
happened with the leading American
accounting firm, ARTHUR ANDERSEN,
following the ENRON stock market crash

200
METERS

3
METERS

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MINDSPACE
November 7, 2005

moments", and not in coffee sales. In

Israel, for some reason, the company
wasn't that successful. Why not? If the
company chooses the shallow end of the
branding model, in most cases it won't
catch on and won't stick. The employees
won't believe in the process, nor will
management, and the public certainly
won't believe them. The only way to
succeed in the branding process in
particular is via the deep side path of the
pendulum and not by middle-of-the-road
fakery.
The question of brand depth is the first in
the series of challenges that brand
managers, admen and media agents face
today. Another challenge is the death of
mass marketing4, as we have known it
up-to-date. We have seen a continuing
downward trend in the effectiveness of
mass advertising in Israel5, particularly in
light of Channel 2's policy, during the
height of prime-time, to barrage us with
five minutes of advertising for every 15
minutes of broadcast time, which has
increased the phenomenon of zapping
channels and a resistance to ad
messages.
After
this,
the
anti-globalization
movements came on the scene and
shouted "No LOGO" 6, and many adopted
this gospel. At the beginning of the 21st
century, the new buzzword in the
marketing
world
became
"Nation
and
following
this,
Branding"7,
knowledgeable experts came to the
conclusion that advertising is beginning to
disappear and that the solution lies in
public relations8. Due to the upward trend
in the penetration of the TiVo DVR device
in the USA, the solution that appears on
the horizon is intensifying product
placement and branded entertainment in
the media.
If so, what is the domain of our
challenge? What is the competitive
domain? Up to now we have dealt mainly
with the technological dimension. We
have seen the great potential of the
internet, but only recently has it begun to

materialize. Now, the belief is in the

increasing potential of the new cellular
communication systems, although Israeli
cellular companies are the most locally
despised corporations in the market. It is
true that over 960 million people across
the globe are connected to the internet9,
720 million people to CNN10. It is also true
that 1.75 billion people own cellular
phones11, but technology is not
necessarily our answer. More than 15%
of the population of the earth may know
what is happening at the other side of the
globe in real time, and this has a major
impact on the development of the
consciousness of modern man, especially
over the last 5 years. But the question is
Is the technological space the
competitive space, or perhaps only the
channel, the means of transport? Indeed,
real competitive space is found in the
changing consciousness of man, of the
consumer, and it is not cyberspace or
outer space, but MINDSPACE. This is
where
the
real
competition
is
conducted12.

THREE DIMENSIONS OF
REALITY IN CONSCIOUSNESS
Now that we have defined the essence
and the domain of the challenge, we must
characterize the competitive space. The
first and central characteristic of
MINDSPACE is the fact that the
consciousness of modern man is divided
into 3 dimensions of reality.
The first dimension of reality is the
VIRTUAL dimension. This is the outer
dimension of consciousness, which
collects information via a mediator, such
as radio, newspapers, television, internet,
road signs, or mail. All of these mediators
feed us experiences, events and
information in an indirect manner. What
does this mean? Let's take the 2004
Indian Ocean tsunami, for example.
Someone who experienced the tsunami
via the news on TV, the internet or
newspapers, has experienced the event
in the virtual dimension.
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November 7, 2005

The second dimension of reality is the

REAL dimension. In this dimension,
information comes to us directly, via the
five senses. These are events that we
experience within the square meter of our
lives. Something we have seen, heard,
tasted, smelled or felt. For example,
someone on the island of Phuket during
the tsunami experienced the event in the
REAL dimension, directly.
The third internal dimension is Factor X:
the depot of the consciousness. This
depot contains everything we define in
psychology as ego, super-ego and id, or
soul, spirit and the higher-self by New
Age definitions. What does it do? It stores
all the information received in the past, as
well as all genetic data, and mixes them
all together. The result? An independent
scenario system that is often totally
disconnected from reality, as transferred
to us via the VIRTUAL or REAL
dimensions. In the case of the tsunami,
terrifying dreams of monster waves
washing away half of Tel Aviv into the
Mediterranean.

central portions of our consciousness.

This happens, for example, if we decide
to rent a DVD of a full season of the TV
series "24" and watch all 24 episodes
back to back. We'll pick up a pizza on the
way home and disconnect ourselves from
the world outside. The REAL will be set
aside, Factor X will be totally repressed
and we'll live only the VIRTUAL
dimension.
The opposite may occur if we decide to
cut ourselves off from the VIRTUAL
dimension. We won't read newspapers,
surf the web, or watch Channel 2. Factor
X can also dominate the consciousness.
When? Under the influence of drugs, in
psychotic episodes, while dreaming, or
even during a daydream. Who hasn't
experienced leaving the house late,
troubled by the events of the day, and
then suddenly remembering before
getting into the car, "Did I lock the house?
Turn off the gas? Shut the water?". In this
tiny moment, Factor X dominates the
consciousness and the REAL dimension
disappears.

The MINDSPACE Model

TOOLS FOR THE

COMPETITIVE SPACE

It is important to state that the given size

of any one of the three dimensions of
reality is fluid and can change as a result
of a decision or a situation that is beyond
our control. And what does this mean? A
situation may be created where the
VIRTUAL dimension dominates the

The first immediate tool at the service of

the marketer is the tool of SPIN13. Spin is
an articulation that within its framework
contorts reality a little, but isn't actually a
lie. It is said that one who has been
caught in a spin can be forgiven, but one
who is caught in a lie would not be. When
McDonald's tries to convince us that their
junk food is healthy, this is a kind of spin.
When Bill Clinton was asked by Larry
King in an interview for CNN: "Monica
claims you two were in the room alone,
and you claim there were others in the
room. Who's telling the truth?". He
answered: "There's Monica's truth and
there's my truth, and both truths can exist
side by side!". This is classic spin. When
Bibi Netanyahu says that within a decade
Israel will become one of the ten leading
economies in the world, this is also pure
spin.
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The reaction to spin differs among

nations. The British are really sick of spin,
Americans still suffer the phenomenon,
and in Israel, you're a "mensch" if you've
managed to spin the media.
The difference between spin, marketing
communications and propaganda is
measured on the ladder of truth and lies.
In marketing communications we do not
tell the entire truth. With spin we navigate
ourselves within the range between truth
and lies. With propaganda, however,
most of it is just lies.

HOW TO ENTER MINDSPACE

The central tool we will work with in the
operation of MINDSPACE is the
BLOCKBUSTERS model14. Within the
framework of attempting to simplify
strategic thought processes, this model
assumes that we must address four basic
questions.
The BLOCKBUSTERS Model

WHERE?
This question provokes us to conduct a
SWOT
(strength,
weaknesses,
opportunities, threats) analysis of the
brand, the product, the company, the
competition, the environment, future
trends and the consumer that will assist in
drawing a current map.
It is clear that the operating space is
found within the MINDSPACE, but the

question is in which one of the three

dimensions of reality?
If we have located a problem of lack of
knowledge among brand consumers, it is
a sign that there is a logic problem. Logic
problems are expressed in the VIRTUAL
dimension. For example: Green tea has
healthy qualities that fight cancer, and
this is information.
If there is a problem of, say, lust or fear,
this is an instinctive issue. The dimension
of reality within whose framework we deal
with instinctive issues is the middle
dimension, the REAL dimension of real
life. For instance, the threat of terror
makes us fear flying. Here we have a
problem that can be overcome by building
a safe environment, as El-Al has done in
its messages to the public. However, if
we have a problem of, say, desperation,
hatred or anger, the brand deals with an
emotional issue, and emotional issues
are expressed within the innermost
dimension of consciousness, in Factor X.
Here, we express all burdens of the past
and everything is mixed together. An
example is the present consumer anger
in Israel at the cellular corporations. This
is an issue whose resolution is not yet
clear definitely not by the one-sided
raising of rates or by messages that are
difficult to believe, such as that Cellcom
will bring us love.
WHERE TO?
After we have answered the "where?"
issue, we must answer the "where to?"
Where do we intend to take the brand?
What are its targets - the brand's goals,
ambitions and desires? If we don't
provide an answer to "where to?" any
direction we take will lead nowhere15.
If we discover that the brand must deal
with an emotional issue, what we will
want to do is to make the consumer
public believe in a new idea or a dream.
We do this by planting a vision an ideal
image of the future16. One of the classic
examples of vision placements for human
beings over the last century is the dream

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November 7, 2005

of the late Walt Disney of a better world,

conveyed to us up to today via the films,
TV programs and theme parks he
founded, and which are expressed under
the roof of the brand concept "Fun
Family Entertainment" 17.
If we have come to the conclusion that we
are dealing with an instinctive issue, what
we'll want to do to generate movement is
to cause the consumer to dare. The way
to do this is to plant a mission within the
REAL dimension. An example of a super
mission is expressed in Nike's slogan
Just do it, which instills in its customers
the courage to try what they haven't
dared to do before.
If we have come to the conclusion that we
are only dealing with a logic problem in
the VIRTUAL dimension, what we'll want
to do is to make the target audience
come to a decision. There is no need for
them to believe in a new idea or to try to
do something they've never dared before.
An example: the longstanding Israeli
campaign of "every drop is a waste"
within
whose
framework
our
consciousness was instilled with the need
to conserve water.
BARRIERS?
Now we move to the third question in the
model, which is the question of barriers:
what are the blocks the brand faces in
reaching its goals? Or in other words,
what prevents us from getting to the
"where to?".
Just like the computer's firewall the
mechanism to prevent entry of viruses,
the MINDSPACE also has a firewall to
prevent the entry of new ideas into the
consciousness18,19. In the VIRTUAL
dimension, the capacity blocker operates.
It isn't likely that all 2500 communication
messages that we are bombarded by
daily will succeed in penetrating our
consciousness. Zapping is another
information blocker, or the TiVo device,
which enables us to digitally record TV
programs and automatically skip over
commercials. This also explains the

existence of the attention blocker, in

cases where the information transmitted
to us does not interest us.
In the REAL dimension, the principal
barrier is the physical block. Our inability
to see the entire range of colours, or the
whole expanse of space, or to detect the
entire range of sounds and decibels. And
in the reality dimension of Factor X,
information processing blockers are the
principal
operators.
For
example,
information that comes too swiftly or too
slowly from what we are used to, or in too
great a quantity for the capacity of the
memory
mechanisms
in
our
consciousness to absorb. Here we also
have the information block: mostly
preconceived opinions or attitudes which
prevent the entry of ideas that oppose the
database of existing information.
HOW?
The fourth question, how, is the dream
question of every businessman "How to
bust the blocks? Break the barriers?".
This is the question that usually trips us
up if we haven't provided a sufficient
answer to the first three questions. If we
have reached the conclusion that we
must deal only with the VIRTUAL
dimension, we will relay a logical
message containing information to our
audience, thus inducing our consumer to
come to a decision that in the end will be
expressed in action. However, we must
understand that although it is very easy to
instill a logical message, its rejection is
also easy. Another problem is that a
logical
message
is
not
always
appropriate, nor does it always work. For
years, environmental activists relayed
logical messages: "If we don't switch the
type of fuel we use to run our
automobiles, we'll raise the level of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which
will create a hole in the ozone layer,
causing the earth to overheat, changing
weather conditions, melting icebergs,
raising sea levels and leading to the
disappearance of major coastal cities".

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MINDSPACE
November 7, 2005

This still doesn't convince us. The same

goes for the Swiss STOP AIDS campaign
that relays a simple message: "Wear a
condom and stop the spread of AIDS".
This suited the Swiss very well, who don't
have a problem with sex, with condoms
or with AIDS. However it isn't suitable for
Israelis, who have a problem with all
three.
In this situation, we must move to a
higher dimension in our consciousness,
and relay our message in the REAL
dimension of reality. If we load our
consumer's consciousness with an
impulsive message containing passion,
instinct or something sensual, our mission
will be complex, but so will its rejection.
For example: a message of fear
regarding saving the environment, as
expressed in the film "The Day After
Tomorrow", highlighted the destructive
personal significance of overheating the
earth: a tsunami in Manhattan. As fate
would have it, the film hit the screens six
months before the actual tsunami in
south-east Asia.
Despite this, what happens when we deal
with a company like PHILLIP MORRIS,
the
manufacturer
of
MARLBORO
cigarettes, who for decades have instilled
in our consciousness a message of
passion via the macho cowboy riding his
horse in the western plains? The logical
message working against him in the
VIRTUAL dimension has no chance. The
only option is to relay a message either in
the same dimension or in a higher one.
The solution is a message of fear, of
which we must also be very careful,
because as we raise the level of fear, the
message's effectiveness also increases
until we reach the apex, beyond which
the effectiveness drops and the message
becomes a source of ridicule. Where is
the apex? No one knows.
If we have reached the conclusion that
the region to be dealt with is not in the
given dimensions but in Factor X, we will
have to use other tools. For example,
emotional message, like hope, love or

joy. It is very difficult to instill a message

like this, but as soon as we have done so,
it is internalized and deeply hidden. Music
can be an amazing tool for the instilment
of emotional messages into our
consciousness. This is what the
Americans are trying in their attempt to
instill emotional messages in the hearts of
Islamic youth in the Middle-East when
they launched Radio SAWA (Together
Radio), relaying pro-Western messages
while broadcasting the music of Britney
Spears and Janet Jackson20. Another
effective tool is film. Within the framework
of the film "I AM SAM", starring Sean
Penn, and relating the story of a mentally
challenged father fighting for custody of
his
daughter,
Penn
works
at
STARBUCKS. For long moments we see
him working behind the counter in his
uniform, repeating company product
names over and over. This is classic
branded entertainment and product
placement, because as the film viewers
relate emotionally to the film they also
relate emotionally to the brand, the
company, to its employees, to its
products and its messages.
A contrasting example brings us back to
NIKE, which has managed to instill a
message in its most loyal of customers
African American youth living in inner-city
neighborhoods in the USA a message
of hope in the Factor X dimension, and a
message of courage in the REAL
dimension. "Convince your mother who's
on welfare to give you $150 to buy the
last pair of NIKE AIR JORDAN running
shoes and you can fly out of your
neighborhood like your all-star national
basketball hero." It is very difficult to
counter these messages. A logical
message
from
human
rights
organizations explaining to these same
kids that destitute youth in the
Philippines, in Indonesia and today in
China as well, work for starvation wages
under inhuman conditions to manufacture
your shoes does not work and is not
internalized.

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November 7, 2005

A logical message in an emotional

environment has no effect at all. This is
how REMEDIA dealt with the recent crisis
involving its major product breast milk
substitutes resulting in the deaths of
two babies and the hospitalization of
several others which shook Israel: with
a logical message: "It wasn't us, it was
the Germans, there was an error in the
wording". Why doesn't this work?
Because a crisis usually awakens fear, on
the one hand, stirring up the REAL
dimension, and it then awakens anger,
which stirs up the Factor X dimension21. A
classic example of proper crisis
management was displayed by Rudy
Giuliani, the mayor of New York City,
during the 9/11 terrorists attacks22.
Moments following the attacks we saw
him wandering through south Manhattan
under clouds of dust, urging residents to
move north. It was an enormous display
of courage, which worked in the REAL
dimension against the horrible fear which
froze the city's residents in their tracks.
At the same time, he exhibited great
sensitivity, both towards the victims and
the rescue teams.

NATION BRANDING
In 1997, Britain launched its first branding
campaign, Cool Britannia. The campaign
tried to deal with Britain's problematic
international image as a conservative
country, and emphasized only the new,
and not the old. The world at large didn't
quite get the messages, although London
is truly a global center representing
cultural and culinary progress, as well as
advances in fashion, design and the arts.
They were unable, however, to detach
the old from the new. The Cool wasn't
internalized and received cries of
derision. Not Cool Britannia, but Cruel
Britannia. In 2001, the campaign was
halted, and in 2002 a new campaign was
launched, UK OK, stressing the
commonalities between the old and the

new, and this campaign continues to run

today.
In the area of nation branding, one must
take into account that we are operating in
the Factor X dimension. Preconceived
attitudes and opinions instilled in our
consciousness
towards
countries
comprise a very heavy emotional load. A
fascinating survey performed many years
ago found that people have biases
towards the host country of certain
products23. We will eagerly consume
Bulgarian cheese, but we won't touch
German cheese. At the same time, we
won't touch Bulgarian beer, whereas
German beer is welcome. And all this has
nothing to do with the brand or product
attributes, but only with the country of
origin. In other words: all activity in the
area of nation branding necessitates the
instilment of emotional messages. For the
same reason, an Israeli government
official appearing on CNN explaining the
professional
rationale
behind
the
separation fence in locally accented
English and jargon, has no chance
against the devastating sobs of a
Palestinian mother who, blocked by the
fence and the roadblock soldiers, cannot
bring her infant daughter to dialysis at the
hospital in the neighboring town. A logical
message has no chance against a very
convincing emotional one.

This is how it is, at least before

the realization of every marketing
communications professional's
wet dream: to penetrate Factor X
directly, as expressed in the film
MATRIX,
via
total
blurring
between virtual reality and the
real world around us as
comprehended
in
our
consciousness.

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MINDSPACE
November 7, 2005

The MINDSPACE MODEL Framework

Dimension of
Consciousness

Access to
Consciousness

Where?
SWOT Analysis
of the three
Dimensions

Blocks?
Marketing
media must
overcome

Where to?
Methods moving
Target audience

How?
Busters

Logical

VIRTUAL

Via mediator,
such as the
media

Instilment Goal:
to reach a simple
decision

Logical
message:
passage of
information

Direct, via the 5

senses

Sensual

Capacity
overload,
resistance to
receipt or
disinterest
Physical
barriers: sight
or hearing
limitations

Impulsive
message:
passion or
sensuality

MIND Depot,
via emotions,
subconscious

Emotional

Mission purpose:
to dare to do
what one has
never dared
before
Instilment of
vision: faith in
dream

REAL

Factor X

Knowledge
Limitations or
info
processing

Emotional
message:
love, hope or
joy

The author is a strategic marketing

communications
expert,
lecturer
and
consultant. He has directed the strategic
planning and research departments at the
Gitam/BBDO
and
Fogel-Levine/O&M
advertising agencies in Israel, has headed
the department of advertising studies at the

Tel Aviv College of Management, has served

as secretary of the Israeli IAA (International
Advertising Association) chapter and as
Chairman of the Board of the IATF (Israel
AIDS Task Force). Contact him at
rhassman@gmail.com

Building Strong Brands/ D.A. Aaker/ The Free

Press, 1996
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3 A New Brand World/ S. Bedburry/ Viking, 2002
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12.7.2004
5 The Israel Advertising Effectiveness Project/
R.H./ OTOT, Feb 1995
6 NO LOGO/ N. Klein/ Picador, 1999
7 Nation Brands of the 21st Century/ S. Anholt/
Market Leader, NTC, www.warc.com
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L. Ries/ HarperBusiness, 2002
9 www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
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11 ITU Cellular Mobile Subscribers (2004)
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J. Trout/ McGrawHill, 1986
13 SPIN This/ Bill Press/ Pocket Books, 2001
14 In GITAM/BBDO we developed the
BLOCKBUSTERS Model/ A. Kroll/ Globes,
10.2.94, pg 45

15 Where there is no Visionary, Companies Falter/

S. Marino/ Industry Week, 15.03.99, vol 248, is 6,
pg 20
16 The Mission Statement Book/ J. Abrahams/ Ten
Speed Press, 1999
17 The Disney Way/ B. Capodagli, L. Jackson/
McGrawHill, 1999
18 The Tipping Pont/ M. Gladwell/ Little, Brown &
Co, 2002
19 Spatial Diffusion of Innovations/ T. Hagerstrand,
1967
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organization, coordination and strategy/ S.
Johnson, H.C. Dale, P. Cronin/ The Heritage
Foundation, 5.8.05, no. 1875
21 The Crisis Counselor/ J.R. Caponigro/
Contemporary Books, 2000
22 LEADERSHIP/ Rudy Giuliani/ Miramax, 2002
23 Country of origin as a factor in developing
biases towards products in advertising/ R.H., Y.
Nevat/ Hebrew U, School of B Management, 1987

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