What do dreams have got to do with brands? Maybe nothing. Maybe it was always about dreams. Perhaps, it is we who have never understood the art of creating real dreams.
Brands have moved from a functional USP to emotional dividends to being purpose-led. Whatever may be the format and trigger, differentiation was always there to help the audience decide favourably. A purpose-led brand is also a differentiation of a different order. Not necessarily, differentiation of a higher order.
Advertising has always been aspirational. It has played with emotions and impression while the person been awake. It has attempted to manage the five senses. Dreams are aspirational too or they could be trapped and troublesome. However, no brand aimed to dominate reality in the dreams of its target group.
DREAMS MEAN A LOT.
Dreams hold important memories and impressions. They express what the person wants or desires or what has been in mind, something that the person may have learnt, experienced or wishes to experiment.
Dreams ate calibrated experience helping to get rid of unimportant memories. It is said that dreams reflect the true nature of emotions and relationships with people, objects or experiences. They unconsciously conditionally push for a stronger craving or desire to own or experience.
MEMORABLE DREAMS.
I remember some of my dreams. The dreams about travelling Business Class, sitting in a Jaguar, owning a Sheaffer, a suit by Reid & Tailor, talking to Ms Hoss; the prettiest girl in the class, meeting English teacher after school and Ms Bhatt agreeing to have a coffee. Some of these drams have relentlessly raided my sleep cycle with high frequency.
In a wired way, the dreams present an opportunity to explore and experience what is forbidden or out of range. We all have dreams. Moreover, to realise the dream, we must first have them.
IMAGES by Pixabay at pexel 269561
DREAMS INDUCED BY EXPERIENCE.
I bet books and movies have given each of us dreams that we loved or hated. Stephen King showed me the power of storytelling and how someone can intrude uninvited into dreams. I have dedicated many sleepless nights to Cujo and Pet Cemetary. At that time, if and when I closed my eyes, Cujo would be waiting for me. It was in my dream that I took my first flight or travelled first class on a train.
DREAMS AND ADVERTISING.
Now, that leads me to an interesting question.
Can we create compelling advertising and deliver the message or experience strong enough to get into our target group’s mind space as a recurring dream?
Can Big Data, Artificial and Alternate intelligence coupled with Machine learning, help us?
Can self-generating algorithms give us clues to infiltrate dreams our target group has?
Alternatively, is the real intuitive emotional creative the only solution?
THE BUSINESS OF DREAMS.
It is said, dreams help us retain the mental, physical and emotional balance. They are uncontrolled random thoughts and images from our memory. How deep is the memory? or what level of the archive is accessed for it is again debatable.
So if the dreams are random, why few selective images and experiences tend to visit us repeatedly?
We also know that dreams can be controlled, just like a video game. One can learn Lucid dreaming.
I do not question the possibilities.
Can we purposely exploit and commercially leverage dreams? I believe we can. However, we have not graduated to a stage, where we understand how to manage dreams.
Can we develop the capability to manage the dreams of a target group?
I believe without reason that soon, we will be able to create compelling communication that will trigger the right nerves and deliver the dream we want to an identified target group. We will be able to do so commercially for the brand, product or service. Imagine how powerful advertising will be!
DREAMS, SUBCONSCIOUS IMPLANTS.
Aha! Most people do not remember their dreams. Many people create stories to make sense of unrelated non-sequenced series of images that they partially remember from their dreams. However, the message undoubtedly remains on a subconscious level.
The way forward will be to graduate to managing augmented lucid dreams. Dreamers will identify and remember the Dream. Moreover, while dreaming, they will know they are dreaming. Does it make sense?
Technology will advance to add fun to lucid dreams. The choice of exploring and managing or controlling the dreams will be available to the dreamer. Competitive brands will want to disrupt other implanted dreams and dominate the dreams target group sees.
HOW TO CREATE DOMINATE DREAM?
Do not ask me how will this happen? What is needed to make it a reality? What will help us do it? How will we know it is happening? How will it be monetised and researched?
I write because I see a possibility. I write as I do have recurring dreams.
A simple answer could be misleading. Maybe there will be apps that will ensure intended dreams get served to the target group. Service providers will programmatically insert dreams. The dreamer target group will be paid an access fee for allowing the advertiser to invade their dream space. The dreamers will have the power to decide if they wish to remember or to forget their dreams.
THERE IS FUTURE IN DREAMS.
Once inserting and managing dreams becomes the mainstream, the dream app will become the most sought after media. In its logical evolution, the dream space will get cluttered. Undoubtedly, we will witness mushrooming of training institutes and hospitals providing a cure for remembering or erasing dreams.
DREAMS MANAGED OVER WAVES.
No, I do not think an app will be required, or the app will manage dreams.
What I think will happen. From central antenna, dreams will be sent out seeking pre-identified dream subscribers. Rouge brands will send disguised nightmare message warning the dreamers what they risk with the competition?
Dreams dominating advertising will work wonders.
Then there will be some self-erasing dreams. Just like cleaning the browser history, the dreamer will have no recollection of the dreams.
New innovative delivery and control mechanism will be pushed in the market. Education will take place when one is asleep. All the waking hours will be available to realise the dreams.
Self-governing norms will define the limits and the type and quantum of dreams that can be served. The government will announce new rules. You may have to buy a license to watch adult dreams. New standards in travel tourism and pornography will emerge.
DREAMS AND DÉJÀ VU.
The dreamer, when awake, will have a feeling of déjà vu whenever they manage to experience the product, brand or service in real terms.
There will be service recovery systems like PDDMS ( Post Dream Dissonance Management System) and managing Cryptomnesia to manage these repeated instances.
In Cryptomnesia you forget the information you had learnt, but it remains stored in your brain. A similar event or experience or a visual then invokes the earlier trapped knowledge to resurface.
I AM DREAMING.
I have been trying to crystal grazing the possibilities. Martin Lindstrom work has always interested me and has accentuated the thoughts.
I read and interpret dreams. I believe they have a logic and a reason to exist.
There has to be some sense in dreams and dreaming. Moreover, maybe the state we call as awake is the dream stage and dreams, in reality, THE REALITY.
I AM NOT HALLUCINATING.
I share the Dream I have seen frequently. As I said, I am a lucid dreamer. I remember details of dreams. I can even get-up between dreams go to the washroom, have water and join the same Dream.
So, this Dream is about winning an award for innovative research in Dream Dominating Advertising. It is the first-ever example of creating and implanting dreams. There must be a reason for such a dream. I am trying to find out what and who has been triggering it.
Maybe technology masters will realise the potential and work to ‘Dream Dominating Advertising’ as a possible business.
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As dictated in my dreams and not written under the influence of Marijuana, which I do think should be legalised.
BLOG/50/2019
