The Psychology of the Bogus Email.

How many of us have received messages from banks we don’t have accounts in claiming there is an security issue that needs to be addressed. Whereas this is disgraceful, it highlights something that we should all understand – brand legitimises trust.

Send out a bogus email as just text and the response would be nil. The minute it possesses an official logo then we respond. It’s a call to action. It says, ‘I’m serious’. There’s more psychology in this simplistic act of deception than you can ever imagine.

As a society we are so attuned to brand on a range of levels that you don’t have to be Coca Cola to understand how brand and branding presents you in the best light possible to the demographic you’re targeting. After all, adverts for BMWs are more likely to appear in a Sunday paper supplement than a Quilting magazine.

As consumers we have to learn a new healthy ‘cyber suspicion’ for those people wanting to deposit funds in our bank accounts from deposed African states. We have to learn a whole new set of rules in relation to our online behaviour. DON’T USE CAPITALS, it’s the equivalent of shouting. Don’t trust software updates – they could be viruses.

So Why Brand?

It’s by far the most common mistake any business can make. We know we need to get our message to the people, we know how to get it out there but we choose not to engage how it will be received. It’s remarkable to think that branding will bring you customers you never thought you could get. Why? Because the way in which you present yourself could be inconsistent or piecemeal. Good design will carry to tone, style and credibility, even in the previously mentioned bogus emails, and this is why design should be used strategically to further your goals – though legitimately of course.

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