Intensity

Yesterday's expedition into the past has made me think about what relevance the medieval world has to marketing today.   As DAL Morgan (one of the greatest medievalists) has advised us:  all the origins of modern culture can be found in the medieival period.    One of the noticeable features of the middle ages was the intensity with which life was lived.  Every stage of life was ritualised and formalised.  The result was that even ordinary everyday occurances became significant.   Huizinga points out that a soft bed, a good meal, a warm fire - all were appreciated through ritual benedictions, formulas, and ceremonies.   This is the reverse of the throwaway culture we have today.   It suggests that the more we can build ritual into branding, the more impact the brand will have.   It also suggests that the more people are enabled (through ritual) to appreciate what they have, the less will be the gnawing desire they have for "more".