philosopher explained what makes people take action in seven causes:
a. Chance—in order to take action, humans need to be offered the chance
to do so—for instance, you would likely buy a 70 percent discounted
pair of shoes if the opportunity to do it popped in front of your eyes.
b. Nature—some actions are triggered by human nature—for instance, it
is in your nature as a human to desire to align yourself with everyone
else, to be one with the Joneses, so if everyone in your circle owns an
iPhone, you will most likely turn to the same brand of smartphones
when searching for one.
c. Compulsion—some actions are taken on an impulse—such as the way
you buy candy bars at the cash register while waiting your turn in the
line.
d. Habit—some actions are triggered by habit—like, for example, if you
always eat oatmeal in the morning, you will go out to buy more on your
next shopping session.
e. Reason—some actions are triggered by pure reason—like, for instance,
you buy a new winter coat when your old one is torn out because your
reason tells you to protect your body from low temperatures. This taps
directly into the needs we have discussed earlier.
f. Passion—some actions are triggered by emotions and passions—such
as, for instance, the way you react to a DNA kit advertised on
Facebook, telling you that you can discover where you come from if
you buy it.
g. Desire—some actions are triggered plain and simply by desires—if, for
instance, the way you desire an Apple MacBook, even if less expensive
and equally efficient options are on the market.Sometimes, these causes are combined (e.g., when the chance is offered,
people might make impulse- or compulsion-based buys).
Branding and marketing play with these causes to trigger people to take
action—that is, buy the products of a company or another.
Personal branding is a bridge between your product/ service and these causes.
By using your personal brand to trigger people to take action, you go beyond
basic marketing and company branding techniques and approach people on a
very personal level.